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| Helping to Make Your Garden Divine in 2009 |
March/April 2009 |
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| Featured Staff Member
Jeff McCaulou
Jeff arrived at Garland Nursery in the Spring of 2006. Working on the "East Side" , he soon learned about roses, fruit trees, berries, and shade shrubs. Jeff has the introspective temperament and creativity of a writer, a career he pursued in Central Oregon prior to his move to the Willamette Valley. He is still keeping those creative juices going and we hope you enjoy his article on fragrant plants in this newsletter. |
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 Fragrance: A Spring Pleasure By Jeff McCaulou
As spring comes on it awakens not only flora and fauna, but our senses as well. The sight of colorful blooms and the warmth of sun on our skin are accompanied by the fragrance of flowers and the scent of freshly tilled soil in the garden with the advent of the spring season. Our sense of smell, the strongest trigger of memory, can remind us that spring is the time to wake up and begin anew where the world left off before the chill of winter.
The first act on stage is Witch Hazel (Hamamelis), appearing in mid winter. One of the most fragrant varieties is Arnold's Promise, which the promise may be that spring is on its way. The small, yellow blooms of Arnold's Promise appear before the foliage and emit a citrus scent that is light and fresh. This deciduous shrub has a procession of changes throughout the year that don't let us forget its presence in the landscape. In winter, its graceful, vase- like branch structure is evident when it's bare of its leaves. After it blooms its orange peel-like flowers, oval leaves appear. In the fall they fade to yellow, demanding attention yet again.
Then, in late February and early March, Winter Daphne takes center stage with its fragrant pink and white blooms. Once in full bloom, the strength of the fragrance from this evergreen shrub allows one to enjoy even the neighbor's specimen as the scent carries on even the slightest breeze. Cuttings of these small flowers can last for weeks, enabling you to enjoy the rich, buttery aroma inside the home.
The month of March is quickly crowded with the fragrances of several performers. Early in the month Hyacinth appears, according to Greek legend, where the blood of the so-named handsome Greek soaked into the earth. This bulb can have a strong, sweet, lilac-like fragrance and can last for a couple of weeks.
Another fragrant specimen in March is Snow Drift Clematis (Clematis armandii). This evergreen vine blooms a profusion of small white flowers that spill from top to bottom making its name applicable. The fragrance emitted from the blossom is sweet and fresh and somewhat like Jasmine, but softer.
When winter seems as though it will never end toward the end of February, a touch of fragrance in the landscape can seem extra bright against the contrasting darkness of the last three months. Get a jump on the fragrance of the grow season with Witch Hazel, and then ease into early spring with Hyacinth and Daphne. There are many others like Osmanthus delavayi, Edgeworthia chrysantha, and Sarcococca to lend to that early sensation of a garden in full bloom. Fragrance is one of those pleasures that once you have it, you won't know why you didn't have it before. |
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 Plants for Small Gardens and Containers
By Karen Hopson
When space is limited in a garden it is very important to make every plant count. Each plant must stay within size limits, look good in every season and add pleasant form, texture and color for year-round interest.
Small trees that can be kept shorter than 20' include many Japanese maples, some flowering crabapples, witch hazels, some magnolias, Chinese redbud and contorted filbert. Many shrubs come trained in tree form, making lovely small specimens. These include forsythia, rose of Sharon, Tinkerbelle lilac, crape myrtle, panicle hydrangea, Black Lace elderberry, dappled willow, Arctic Blue willow and variegated redtwig dogwood.
In addition to trees, vertical interest can be added by planting narrow, columnar plants as specimens or screening hedges. Euonymus Greenspire forms an emerald green column 8' tall by 3' wide. Sky Pencil holly and Green Tower boxwood are two more evergreen sentinels. For a softer look try clumping bamboos. Many conifers grow into narrow forms besides the usual arborvitae. Try Blue Surprise or Wissel's Saguro false cypress, Gold Cone or Sky Rocket junipers or fastigiate yews.
Dwarf conifers offer an amazing array of little gems with big impact. They come in every shade of green, blue, gold and variegated and some change color in winter. Their textures are amazing- needles of every kind, scalloped, twisted, coral-like and more. Forms can vary from narrow columns to globes, mounds, pyramids, vase-shaped, weeping and spreading. See the website www.iselinursery.com for pictures and ideas.
Vines can be trained on fences, trellises, pergolas or arbors to create walls, overhead enclosure or dramatic entries to your garden. Evergreen vines include some clematis, star jasmine, bignonia, China blue vine and Hydrangea integrifolia. Akebia and some honeysuckles are semi-evergreen. Vines can be selected for spectacular flowers, fragrance, berries or fall color.
Some shrubs make very small footprints, making interesting accents or small hedges. True Dwarf boxwood, box-leaf euonymus, many hebes, azaleas, dwarf nandinas, Twiggy box honeysuckle and heathers are all evergreen and diminutive in stature.
Evergreen perennials and herbs can add year-round interest and structure. Possibilities include Heucheras, Euphorbias, Bergenia, Armeria, ferns, hellebores, lavender, rosemary, Teucrium, sage, Santolina and thyme. Many grasses and grass-like plants add such wonderful forms and textures. Evergreen possibilities include Phormiums, Astelia, Carex, Acorus, mondo grass, Liriope, blue oat grass and fescue.
When planting up a pot or planter, all of the above plants are possible components. Many mixed planters look best with something upright (the "thriller"), something full and softer (the "filler"), and a trailing plant to soften the edges (the "spiller").
Once you have created the structural integrity, or "bones" of your garden, you can fill out any remaining spaces with blooming annuals, perennials and flowering shrubs to add color, fragrance and personality. Whether planning your garden or a pot by the front door let us help you find the best choices for your situation.
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Sustainable Plants
By Lee Powell
Registered Landscape Architect
It is hard to open a gardening magazine or watch a gardening show without learning about the latest green project that will reduce your carbon footprint or create a more sustainable landscape. While I love the idea of creating a rain garden or putting a green roof on your house, I have come to the conclusion that while most gardeners would like to have a more sustainable yard, taking on a big project may not fit into the budget or may be more than you want to take on.
Sustainability, according to the World Commission on Environment and Development, means "to meet the needs of the present without compromising the needs of future generations to meet their own needs" In bringing this idea down to the most basic gardening level I believe that your plant choices are what will have the biggest effect on whether your landscape will be sustainable or not. Choosing plants only for their beauty, but ignoring their cultural needs or your environmental conditions will most likely result in a continued battle to keep the plant you chose looking healthy and happy. It may require continual watering, fertilizing and pruning or it may result in a weak plant that is susceptible to pests or diseases. So with that in mind I compiled a list of a few plants that I consider to be very tough and will require a minimal amount of inputs over the years to keep them looking good. This is by no means a complete list but should give you some plants that I am sure you will have success with. These plants have proven to be fairly drought resistant, pest and disease resistant, be fairly cold hardy and should provide you with some seasonal interest in your garden.
Trees
Flame Maple - great flaming red fall color on a small stature tree
Pyramidal Hornbeam - a tall thin tree with vibrant yellow fall color
Autumn Gold Ginkgo - an interesting bi lobed leaf with gold fall color
Royal Raindrops Flowering Crabapple - bright pink flowers in spring, burgundy foliage, and red berries
Musashino Zelkova - a narrow arching tree with yellow fall color
Atrovirens Red Cedar - a rich green narrow conifer with a soft texture
Shrubs
Compact Strawberry Bush - an upright 5-8' tall shrub with orange and red berries in the fall
Bagatelle Barberry - a short, tight barberry with burgundy foliage and bright red fall color
Baggesen's Gold Privet Honeysuckle - an evergreen shrub with gold new growth and an arching habit
Magic Carpet Spirea - a short deciduous shrub with gold and red foliage, pink spring flower and red fall color
Osmanthus delavayi - a 3-5' tall evergreen shrub with fragrant white flowers in spring and bronze new growth
Perennials
Agastache 'Blue Fortune' - loaded with blue flowers in the summer through fall
Brunnera 'Jack Frost '- a shade plant with variegated foliage and blue spring flowers
Sedum 'Hot Stuff '- nice succulent foliage with bright pink flowers in the fall
Daylily 'Rosy Returns' - pink flowers that continue blooming all summer
Hardy Geranium 'Max Frei' - a long blooming, low grower with pink flowers
Avalanche Feather Reed Grass - a variegated grass with long lasting seed heads
Although the plants I have chosen should be drought resistant, pest and disease resistant and should thrive in our native soils I would still encourage good soil preparation and watering for the first one or two growing seasons until they become established plants. I would also encourage you to take note of the environmental conditions where you are thinking of planting and ask one of our staff which plants will naturally thrive under your conditions. Getting the right plant in the right place will save a lot of effort over the years.
Happy Planting |
Making the Most of a Soggy Situation
by Joleen Schilling
Wet weather and heavy clay soils go hand in hand with living and gardening in the Willamette Valley. The good news is that you can still be a successful gardener even if you are plagued with soils that have poor drainage.
First, it is important to know what you are up against. During periods of prolonged rainfall, water fills the air spaces between soil particles and prevents oxygen from reaching the roots. When this happens, plants become unhealthy, their growth is restricted, and in some cases plants will die. Symptoms to look for include:
·plants that look like they need water because they are wilting or have yellowing leaves that wither and drop off,
·pools of water on the soil surface,
·plant roots that are black, soft, and soggy, and the soil smells of rotten eggs,
·and stunted plants or plants that fail to sprout and have shoots that die back.
If you have poorly drained soil the first thing you need to do is improve the drainage in your garden. You can do this by adding plenty of rich, organic matter prior to planting. This will help improve both your soil structure and drainage. We recommend Gardner 'N Bloome Soil Building Compost. This is a long-lasting soil amendment that improves drainage and helps loosen clay soils. Gardner 'N Bloome Soil Building Compost also contains beneficial soil fungi called Mycorrhizae that associate with the root systems of most plants, enhancing the roots system's capacity to absorb nutrients from the soil.
Once you have amended your soil; make the most of your situation by choosing shrubs, trees and perennials that thrive in wet soil.
Trees that do well in moist conditions include Acer rubrum (Red Maple), Nyssa sylvatica (Sour gum), Amelanchier arborea (Serviceberry), and Liquidambar styraciflua (Sweet gum).
If you are looking for shrubs that can tolerate wet soils try Viburnum trilobum (Cranberry bush), Salix (Willow), or Cornus (Dogwood).
There are also several perennials that can tolerate wet conditions. If you have a shady location with poor drainage try planting Aconitum (Monkshood), Astilbe (Astilbe), Cimicifuga racemosa (Black snakeroot), or Tolmiea menziesii (Piggyback plant). For a sunny area, plant Eupatorium maculatum (Joe-Pye weed), Lobelia cardinalis (Cardinal flower), Sisyrinchium californicum (Golden-eyed grass), or Iris sibirica (Siberian iris).
Once you have selected the right plants, you can make the most of your soggy situation by rethinking how your garden functions. You can do this by creating a raingarden. A raingarden is a shallow depression that captures rain from roofs, pavement, and other impervious surfaces. The primary purpose of a raingarden is to reduce and filter rainwater runoff and increase groundwater recharge. But raingardens also offer many other benefits that include:
·providing habitat for wildlife and, with when planted with the appropriate plants, increase the number and diversity of birds and butterflies,
·providing an alternative to traditional lawns,
·a reduction in watering and fertilizing,
·increased property values,
·and improved water quality.
The most important thing to remember, is that you can be a successful gardener even when your conditions are not ideal. You just need to learn how to work with your situation and plant the right plant in the right location. |
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Upcoming Events
April 18th and 19th
Spring Open House & Educational Event
* New Plant Introductions
* Speakers:
- Neil Bell at 11:00am "How to Have Color in Your Garden All Year with Little Water"
- Jim Siehl from Blooming Nursery at 1pm
* Specials
* More details to come
May 9th
Mother's Day Event
Create a Planter for Your Mom for only $20
Choose from three:
* Herbal Tea Planter
* Color Bowl
* Edible Planter
May 16th & 17th
Herb & Veggie Festival
* Steve Goto - 10am and 1pm
Steve presents an organically based lecture on "My Experiences Growing Heirloom Tomatoes & Basic Tomato 101" - Plus much more. Get the details of the benefits (reasons) of soils, fertilizers, pots, cages and everything else it takes to have a successful garden.
* Specials
* More details to follow.
July 25th & 26th
Blueberry Festival
* Blueberry tasting & other fun activities. Look for more details
August 8th and 9th
Art & Wine in the Garden
5470 NE Highway 20
Corvallis, Oregon 97330 |
Garland Nursery Come for an hour or stay for the day.
Thank you for your business. We hope to see you this Spring.
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Owners
Brenda, Lee and Erica
541-753-6601 |
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