In another corner of the garden, the shrub had produced berries. I have had a few problems identifying this fellow and not really sure if it was a native (good and could stay) or invasive (had to go). The hedgerows are full of the shrub making me think that maybe it was one of the bad guys. Then, prompted by a conversation on a bus at the conference, I was able to confirm that it is a dogwood, it is native and yes it can stay! It is the Gray Dogwood (Cornus racemosa) and is great for the birds to hid in when the cats approach the bird feeders! The final id was through the bright red stems that hold the berries.

This week all the hibiscus in the garden are in bloom. We have two large Rose of Sharon bushes at the front, and a couple of little H. moscheutos. These go down to the ground each winter are were so late coming up this past spring that I thought they had died! The blooms overwhelm the small bush but are fun to look at. The two little bushes are slightly aside from the main bed and I have no idea why, or how, they were planted there. If they had broken dormancy a little earlier I wanted to move them into the new shrub and perennial bed. Hopefully I will be able to transplant them this fall while I can still find them.

!

The chrysanths were in a decomposable pot but the thing was so solid that I decided to take the plants out of the pot before planting. I am never sure how long these things are going to take to rot in the ground, and with this being September I really want the roots to get started right way. After watering they all look happy and they are getting ready to bloom. These came from a nursery and are locally grown so the hot weather has delayed the bloom by a week or two, which is to my advantage.

Then I headed to the veggie plot which was in need of a good weed. Much to my surprise the beans, which are Contender and were put in on Aug 8th, are already putting out beans!  I really thought it optimistic that they would have time to have anything, but in just 51 days they are doing fine!

Weeding among these little guys and any vegetable is a delicate job, so I use a really handy tool called a Cobra Head. The one I like is a long handled one, currently missing the screws (not sure why, but I will blame that on the move) and there is a smaller hand held version. Both have narrow heads that will go in between the plants without disturbing the roots but still able to dislodge emerging weeds.

This is probably my favorite tool for the veg bed, and although I rarely use it in the other beds (more likely to need a pick axe right now), it is invaluable. Here is the picture:

Blue was not a problem – I have hydrangeas everywhere and they are are all standard mop head blue. Alice Morse Earle commented that the hillsides of Long Island looked like they were moldy when the hydrangeas were in bloom and although many will disagree, it can get rather too much.

Then the white was just as easy because the gardenia is in bloom. I think these look much brighter white than the ones at the front and they are maintained for longer too. The front gardenias are in full sun and turn yukky brown in just a few hours. These are in afternoon sun, but shade for the rest of the day, and look much fresher. This one still has early morning dew on the petals.

Finally red. This was more of a problem because the Knockout roses are past their initial bloom and the echinaceas are not quite out yet.The nearest I could get was this reddish pink dianthus.  Its full  name is Diantus Scent First Passion, and yes it it very scented.

The Tidy Bananas

Apparently if you lop the top off the stems, you can tear off the growth area. Mine were rotted though so I did take those peices off.  I think the leaves come out from the central area. 

You can listen to the radio show about tropical plants at: http://radiosandysprings.com/showpages/mastergardener.php and look for February 7th.

After the show we talked about bamboo which is quite commonly grown in Georgia.  Mine is a golden bamboo and restricted between a concrete drainage channel and the concrete that surrounds the pool. It does try to run over to greet the bananas though, and I had to dig a few runners out of the ground.  I don’t want to put them into the compost, so they will join the group of plants that I leave to dehydrate and then put into bags for the city recycling crew.

Rampant Golden Bamboo - A lovely plant though

The First Daffodils

The problem was the they were difficult to see because of the pile of mulch and topsoil that was left over from last year.  So today we moved the topsoil to finish the heirloom rose bed, and I shifted some mulch too, so that I can see the blooms from the kitchen.

I also took a peak at the vegetable bed, and decided that somehow we need to make it bigger, and maybe edge it with some cedar timbers.  I have a thought that two smaller raisedbeds on the side of the main bed would be great for carrots and potatoes, as well as keep the tomatoes and peppers in better control.  I will see how far we get with that plan though!

One thing that really fascinated me though was the funky colors that they come out with. I had thought that the botanical gardens that I visited took weeks to produce these wonderful burgundies and blues, by injecting them with colored water.  Nope- that is done with a spray paint!  Yes an earth friendly dye is sprayed onto the leaf to create the colors.

Another topic that took my interest was that of tree forms of the plant.  I knew it was a perennial but they grow fast and from small plants in July, the lollipop version is just grown that way. Pruned to have just one stem it grows upward and then it is allowed to create the ball of leaves and turn color when the flower forms, just like the little guys do.

I am now on a mission to find one of these standard forms for the house. 

For more poinsettia information listen to the interview on www.radiosandysprings.com on Saturday, Nov 29th, 10 am.  The program will be podcast after the show and available until the New Year.

The Flower on a Hardy Banana

Last year at a garden sale, I picked up two little hardy banana cuttings.  They grew and grew and gave the tropical look that I wanted.  Hardy bananas plants are not fruiting bananas and if I find time this winter I may well determine if these are the ones grown for twine or something.

But…  there I was walking round the garden yesterday, and I noticed something strange on the ground.  I looked up and the hardy nonfruiting banana had a flower on it, and two rows of little bananas!! I doubt that we will get enough 80 degree days to ripen these little guys but boy what a treat to see.

Agastache (Anise Hyssop).

Agastache foeniculum is a wonderful herb that can be used in teas, but it also makes a great garden perennial.  The species comes in blue and white, and is hardy to zone5. Strong upright stems and great summer color that attract bees and other pollinators. The resulting seed heads are sturdy and can remain throughout winter to add winter interest.  New cultivars though have expanded and Agastaches are about to hit the market big time.  The new ones come in reds and pinks, peaches and other pastels. On the left above is Agastache “Cotton Candy” by Terra Nova nursery, a pink droopy sort of plant, and on the right is the lovely species Agastache foeniculum

Glossy Abelia

This has always been one of my favorite shrubs.  It blooms in late summer with lovely white bells lining the arching stems.  The leaves are evergreen and glossy throughout most of the continent (through zone 5) but obviously look a little drab in spring when the snow has melted.  Now the Abelia is getting some attention as a great shrub for small gardens.  It is bug free, trouble free and attractive without getting out of hand.  It can also be pruned into a hedge, but this is not a great hedge plant, rather it should be a casual, cottage garden shrub.

 To the left above is the Proven Winners line Abelia “Bronze Anniversary” and to the right is the beautiful A.grandiflora.

The good side of the argument is that these very worthy shrubs and perennials are being noticed and planted in gardens, rather than being relegated to old fashioned gardens.  The down side is that the true species of these great plants will likely be lost.  Abelia has great dark green leaves, so why did they feel the need to develop a lime green/bronze type growth?  Was it because the traditional one was boring or was it just because they could?