QUESTION: “My hydrangea plant is healthy but has only put out one flower in last four years. Do I need a second plant to make it flower?” – Darlene
ANSWER: I guess you are thinking that you might need another plant for cross pollination in order to get your hydrangea to flower. In this case, I don’t think you need a second plant. My suggestion is to wait until after it has bloomed (or should have bloomed) and then trim back the bush somewhat. Then, in the fall after leaf drop, mix one tablespoon of Epsom salts to one gallon of water and pour on the soil around the base of the plant and let it soak into the ground.
The following spring, you should repeat the process just as the leaves are starting to emerge. Regular readers know that Cheryl and I use this “plant spa treatment” to help stubborn plants bring forth more blooms. Keep in touch and let me know if it works for you.
In last week’s column, I discussed some plants that will thrive in shaded areas where nothing else seems to grow. If you missed that column, you can find it at my Web site, www.landsteward.org Look for the column titled “Shade-loving groundcovers perfect for sun deprived gardens.” Here’s a question that my wife Cheryl answered regarding herb gardening in the shade.
QUESTION: Which herbs can I plant in fully shaded areas? I’ve read other sites that recommend parsley or chives for fully shaded areas. Do you agree? If not, which herb would you recommend planting in shaded areas, if any?” – Maria
ANSWER: I like to plant and play around with herbs, too. From experience, most herbs do like full sun, though some will also grow in a filtered shady area. My chives have always grown and done well in full sun. You need to be sure to not let the heads go to seed and drop or you will have chives popping up all over the place! Even though thyme generally requires sun, I have golden thyme under a wisteria covered arbor and sage has grown well there also.
Try the same herbs in sun and shade to see which ones will grow for your area. Herbs that are hard to control, such as mints, should be planted in containers or they will be growing everywhere.
Playing with plants is part of the fun and at the same time becomes a learning experience.
All of the questions in this column were originally addressed in a recent edition of my weekly e-newsletter. If you’d like a free subscription, simply send me an e-mail with your request.
QUESTION: “I have several Blue Spruces that are at least 20 to 30 feet tall. Every year they get a parasite that looks like soft brown cones that hang down from their small branches. If you know what these things are, could you advise me on how to rid the trees from these parasites? Thank you.” – Jose
ANSWER: What you have there are known as bag worms. As soon as you see them appearing you will have to pull all of them off carefully, put them in a paper sack and take them away from the area to burn.
At least twice each season you will have to spray the trees and the ground under and around them with an insecticide such as malathion in order to keep your spruces free of bag worms. A word of caution: be sure to wash your hands thoroughly after spraying and leave any boots or clothing outdoors that might have been sprayed. Malathion has a low human toxicity but if it enters an indoor environment, it can break down into malaoxon which can be quite poisonous to animals and humans.
You will eventually reduce the bag worm population, but I’m afraid they are here to stay.
The Plant Man is here to help. Send your questions about trees, shrubs and landscaping to steve@landsteward.org and for resources and additional information, or to subscribe to Steve’s free e-mailed newsletter, visit www.landsteward.org
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Shade-loving groundcovers perfect for sun deprived gardens
Finding plants that thrive in shady area and under trees is a problem but not impossible. If that’s a dilemma for you, I have some helpful ideas.
QUESTION: “I love reading your column each week! You have great advice on plants. I recently read your column that mentioned vinca minor and pachysandra terminalis for shady areas.
“We have a backyard that faces woods to the north and the yard portion is only about 30' wide between the deck and the woods. About half of the western side of this backyard is totally shaded due to trees and is bare dirt.
“We have three boys (as well as other neighbor boys) who run around a lot in the yard and we haven't been able to get any grass to grow successfully in that area. It grows in May and June and then once the tree leaves come in the grass dies due to lack of sunlight! We have tried all types of grass and none work.
“During the rainy season other backyards drain through our yard to the creek in the woods, so the area it gets pretty muddy but it does drain and there is no standing water.
“I am so tired of this ugly look that is so hard on bare feet as well! Can you recommend any low-growing or appropriate groundcover that would work in such a shady area?” – Lisa Knapp
ANSWER: Thanks for the compliments and for being a reader to the column.
As a reminder to you and other readers, I’ll mention a few suitable groundcovers, below. It is fairly easy to work with any of these shade-tolerant groundcovers but you will have to establish for at least one growing season before the area can suffer a lot of traffic.
As always, the best first step is to establish the area where you want to plant your groundcover. Regular readers know that I recommend using a garden hose that you place on the ground and move around and indicate the perimeter of the area you intend to plant. Step back and take a look. Not quite satisfied yet? Simply move the hose a little (or a lot) until you see the desired outline of the proposed area. This is the landscaper’s equivalent of the carpenter’s motto, “Measure twice, cut once.” Moving a hose now is easy; moving plants later isn’t.
Once you have determined the shape, fill in the area with top soil, compost or plantable mulch. Keep in mind that during the rainy season you have to have a way for the water to travel so do not block the natural flow. You might then want to put some type of edging around the perimeter to establish a boundary. Then you can plant your groundcover in early spring. You can also plant groundcover in the fall, but if you do, make sure you mulch in the roots for winter and then let it go until the following spring.
Here are some shade-loving groundcovers that are worth investigating:
Pachysandra Green Sheen
This is the most reliable cold-season groundcover for shaded areas and is ideal for planting under the canopies of established trees where little else grows. It’s also good for planting by on the north side of wall or on north-facing slopes. Green Sheen has extremely glossy foliage that sometimes looks too good to be real!
Pachysandra, variegated Japanese
An alternative (or addition) to the Green Sheen, the variegated Japanese thrives even in the dense shade of evergreens. It is low-growing and compact, retaining its beauty with white tinged leaves even in adverse conditions.
Dicentra Candy Hearts
This is a relatively new Bleeding Heart variety that produces masses of pendulous bright pink candy-like flowers. I would recommend that Candy Hearts be planted where they’ll get some partial sun for part of the day but they are shade-tolerant.
Ajuga Reptans “Burgundy Glow”
A creeping, mat-forming evergreen perennial that does well in shady area. It spreads rapidly to a width of 24 to 36 inches and a height of only six inches. The cream and maroon variegated leaves make a pleasant contrast in any garden.
The Plant Man is here to help. Send your questions about trees, shrubs and landscaping to steve@landsteward.org and for resources and additional information, or to subscribe to Steve’s free e-mailed newsletter, visit www.landsteward.org
QUESTION: “I love reading your column each week! You have great advice on plants. I recently read your column that mentioned vinca minor and pachysandra terminalis for shady areas.
“We have a backyard that faces woods to the north and the yard portion is only about 30' wide between the deck and the woods. About half of the western side of this backyard is totally shaded due to trees and is bare dirt.
“We have three boys (as well as other neighbor boys) who run around a lot in the yard and we haven't been able to get any grass to grow successfully in that area. It grows in May and June and then once the tree leaves come in the grass dies due to lack of sunlight! We have tried all types of grass and none work.
“During the rainy season other backyards drain through our yard to the creek in the woods, so the area it gets pretty muddy but it does drain and there is no standing water.
“I am so tired of this ugly look that is so hard on bare feet as well! Can you recommend any low-growing or appropriate groundcover that would work in such a shady area?” – Lisa Knapp
ANSWER: Thanks for the compliments and for being a reader to the column.
As a reminder to you and other readers, I’ll mention a few suitable groundcovers, below. It is fairly easy to work with any of these shade-tolerant groundcovers but you will have to establish for at least one growing season before the area can suffer a lot of traffic.
As always, the best first step is to establish the area where you want to plant your groundcover. Regular readers know that I recommend using a garden hose that you place on the ground and move around and indicate the perimeter of the area you intend to plant. Step back and take a look. Not quite satisfied yet? Simply move the hose a little (or a lot) until you see the desired outline of the proposed area. This is the landscaper’s equivalent of the carpenter’s motto, “Measure twice, cut once.” Moving a hose now is easy; moving plants later isn’t.
Once you have determined the shape, fill in the area with top soil, compost or plantable mulch. Keep in mind that during the rainy season you have to have a way for the water to travel so do not block the natural flow. You might then want to put some type of edging around the perimeter to establish a boundary. Then you can plant your groundcover in early spring. You can also plant groundcover in the fall, but if you do, make sure you mulch in the roots for winter and then let it go until the following spring.
Here are some shade-loving groundcovers that are worth investigating:
Pachysandra Green Sheen
This is the most reliable cold-season groundcover for shaded areas and is ideal for planting under the canopies of established trees where little else grows. It’s also good for planting by on the north side of wall or on north-facing slopes. Green Sheen has extremely glossy foliage that sometimes looks too good to be real!
Pachysandra, variegated Japanese
An alternative (or addition) to the Green Sheen, the variegated Japanese thrives even in the dense shade of evergreens. It is low-growing and compact, retaining its beauty with white tinged leaves even in adverse conditions.
Dicentra Candy Hearts
This is a relatively new Bleeding Heart variety that produces masses of pendulous bright pink candy-like flowers. I would recommend that Candy Hearts be planted where they’ll get some partial sun for part of the day but they are shade-tolerant.
Ajuga Reptans “Burgundy Glow”
A creeping, mat-forming evergreen perennial that does well in shady area. It spreads rapidly to a width of 24 to 36 inches and a height of only six inches. The cream and maroon variegated leaves make a pleasant contrast in any garden.
The Plant Man is here to help. Send your questions about trees, shrubs and landscaping to steve@landsteward.org and for resources and additional information, or to subscribe to Steve’s free e-mailed newsletter, visit www.landsteward.org
Friday, January 11, 2008
Stately junipers add garden drama as they point skyward
Sometimes, all your landscape needs to give it a whole new look is a little drama. These fast-growing junipers could be just the ticket.
Juniper Spartan (Juniperus chinensis Spartan)
If you read much about gardens, you often see photographs of so-called Italian cypress in magazines and books. There’s nothing wrong with them at all. But after a while it gets a bit ho-hum seeing the same old, same old.
The Juniper Spartan makes a very acceptable alternative and, by the way, is the source of the lovely spiraled topiary columns that are popular in Mediterranean-style gardens. They also work well in large, heavy duty concrete or ceramic containers as accents in a formal garden.
The Spartans are handsome, fast-growing junipers with a densely branched columnar form that makes them useful as a screen or windbreak. They prefer full sun and rapidly reach a mature height of between ten and twenty feet.
Juniper Blue Point (Juniperus chinensis Blue Point)
Plant this juniper close to a lush, green lawn and the effect is quite dramatic because the emerald of the grass accentuates the juniper’s blue coloring. Like the Spartan, the Blue Point has exceptionally dense foliage that would be ideal for screening.
I often recommend the Blue Point to line a stately driveway or frame an entry. If you have a square courtyard, you get a very pleasant effect by planting one Blue Point at each corner. However, I also like to see them in matched pairs or groups to form a colorful screen or garden accent.
As with most plants, it makes sense to understand its natural habitat and try to match that as closely as possible. In the case of the Blue Point, its natural habitat is dry and windy with exposure to full sun. Plant the Blue Point where it will receive virtually no shade all day and this will allow the foliage to dry quickly in the morning, preventing disease from thinning the canopy.
Juniper Skyrocket (Juniperus scopulorum Skyrocket)
Regular readers might remember a question that appeared in this column from a reader who needed ideas for a very narrow strip of land separating her house from her neighbor’s. When a tall, narrow tree is called for, make sure Skyrocket is on your list!
This thin, columnar juniper is ideal for awkward, narrow spaces such as side yards. The evergreen, silvery-blue foliage on the Skyrocket is exceptionally consistent, showing very little change from season to season. It’s a good plant for both hot and cold regions but, like the other junipers, it does require exposure to fairly full sun for best results.
Skyrocket makes a very imposing statement when planted against a large fence or building or in formal plantings. With only a two or three foot spread, the Skyrocket can soar to around twenty feet quite rapidly and is tolerant of dry/arid soil.
If your tastes run to something a little wider and wilder, let’s move away from the junipers and look at…
Euonymus Manhattan
This one is definitely more than just another broadleaf evergreen: this is one of the very few Euonymus that bear colored fruit. If you’re a fan of berried plants such as Viburnum Brandywine or Cardinal Candy, or perhaps Brilliant Red Chokeberry, the Manhattan would be the perfect complement. White flowers appear, framed by the dark green leaves and followed by the pinkish fruit.
Manhattan can tolerate cold to almost 0 degrees F as well as high temperatures, wind, poor soil and even salt spray. I think this plant looks best when planted in a semi-wild setting where you can allow it to grow without shearing. Even left to its own devices, this shrub has a neat, formal appearance, topping out at six to ten feet at maturity.
Put these evergreens on your “look see” list if year-round drama is something you’d enjoy.
The Plant Man is here to help. Send your questions about trees, shrubs and landscaping to steve@landsteward.org and for resources and additional information, or to subscribe to Steve’s free e-mailed newsletter, visit www.landsteward.org
Juniper Spartan (Juniperus chinensis Spartan)
If you read much about gardens, you often see photographs of so-called Italian cypress in magazines and books. There’s nothing wrong with them at all. But after a while it gets a bit ho-hum seeing the same old, same old.
The Juniper Spartan makes a very acceptable alternative and, by the way, is the source of the lovely spiraled topiary columns that are popular in Mediterranean-style gardens. They also work well in large, heavy duty concrete or ceramic containers as accents in a formal garden.
The Spartans are handsome, fast-growing junipers with a densely branched columnar form that makes them useful as a screen or windbreak. They prefer full sun and rapidly reach a mature height of between ten and twenty feet.
Juniper Blue Point (Juniperus chinensis Blue Point)
Plant this juniper close to a lush, green lawn and the effect is quite dramatic because the emerald of the grass accentuates the juniper’s blue coloring. Like the Spartan, the Blue Point has exceptionally dense foliage that would be ideal for screening.
I often recommend the Blue Point to line a stately driveway or frame an entry. If you have a square courtyard, you get a very pleasant effect by planting one Blue Point at each corner. However, I also like to see them in matched pairs or groups to form a colorful screen or garden accent.
As with most plants, it makes sense to understand its natural habitat and try to match that as closely as possible. In the case of the Blue Point, its natural habitat is dry and windy with exposure to full sun. Plant the Blue Point where it will receive virtually no shade all day and this will allow the foliage to dry quickly in the morning, preventing disease from thinning the canopy.
Juniper Skyrocket (Juniperus scopulorum Skyrocket)
Regular readers might remember a question that appeared in this column from a reader who needed ideas for a very narrow strip of land separating her house from her neighbor’s. When a tall, narrow tree is called for, make sure Skyrocket is on your list!
This thin, columnar juniper is ideal for awkward, narrow spaces such as side yards. The evergreen, silvery-blue foliage on the Skyrocket is exceptionally consistent, showing very little change from season to season. It’s a good plant for both hot and cold regions but, like the other junipers, it does require exposure to fairly full sun for best results.
Skyrocket makes a very imposing statement when planted against a large fence or building or in formal plantings. With only a two or three foot spread, the Skyrocket can soar to around twenty feet quite rapidly and is tolerant of dry/arid soil.
If your tastes run to something a little wider and wilder, let’s move away from the junipers and look at…
Euonymus Manhattan
This one is definitely more than just another broadleaf evergreen: this is one of the very few Euonymus that bear colored fruit. If you’re a fan of berried plants such as Viburnum Brandywine or Cardinal Candy, or perhaps Brilliant Red Chokeberry, the Manhattan would be the perfect complement. White flowers appear, framed by the dark green leaves and followed by the pinkish fruit.
Manhattan can tolerate cold to almost 0 degrees F as well as high temperatures, wind, poor soil and even salt spray. I think this plant looks best when planted in a semi-wild setting where you can allow it to grow without shearing. Even left to its own devices, this shrub has a neat, formal appearance, topping out at six to ten feet at maturity.
Put these evergreens on your “look see” list if year-round drama is something you’d enjoy.
The Plant Man is here to help. Send your questions about trees, shrubs and landscaping to steve@landsteward.org and for resources and additional information, or to subscribe to Steve’s free e-mailed newsletter, visit www.landsteward.org
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
Reader’s lawn headaches call for groundcover cure
QUESTION: “I built a new home about 2.5 years ago and I am sick of my grass! It has been nothing but a headache. I have been through several lawn maintenance companies and I have had many arguments with them. “At this point I think my best remedy would be to get rid of all the grass and just plant some kind of ground cover. Some of the reasons for my woes are that (1) I built on a ravine, (2) my lot is not even; there are a variety of slopes, and (3) the sun/shade character is totally different for various areas of the front and back yards. Obviously, different conditions yield different results. “My concern is whether or not ground cover would invite infestation by creepy crawly things. I do have a lot of visitation by all kinds of insects and animals since I live on a ravine. Would the ground cover be more inviting to them than the grass? Part of my maintenance problem has been some of the creatures tearing up parts of the grass. After much consultation with a variety of people, I finally concluded that, simply, they were here before I was and they will win! “Finally, I am not an outdoor person. If the ground cover will lead to high maintenance then I don't want it. Secondly, I have no idea what kind to get, so I need some advice. Third, for a yard that is 3,000 sq. ft. (front & back) will the cost be prohibitive or is the transition a reasonable one?” – Mark Ealy
ANSWER: The creepy crawly things may not go away but you may at least have more beneficial ones with ground covers. One thing you may want to begin with is to take an old garden hose and use it as an outline to layout some areas that you would like to have ground cover in. If the area is shaded part of the time and sunny part of the time, you can really do a lot of different effects. You don’t have to have grass but some at least in the beginning as pathways or just something to break up the ground cover will be aesthetically more pleasing to the eye.
Shaded pathways could be great for hostas and shade loving perennials. Sunny areas would be ideal for small flowing shrubs and ornamental grasses. By doing it this way, you will eliminate a lot of future maintenance. I would begin by dividing the area into 3 or 4 sections and work on one at a time. This gives you a chance to live in the areas you plan and continually come up with more ideas to give you the garden you want. A garden is not something you plant just one big time and then stand back and admire. It is a place to which you constantly add new things for your enjoyment. It does not become a maintenance thing but a place to reflect on the day’s experiences and enjoy your own touch of nature.
If you decide to go this route, email back at steve@landsteward.org with more specific details about the first area you plan to do and I will help where I can. Other readers seeking advice on specific groundcover choices are welcome to do the same.
QUESTION: “In a recent column, you said it is better to give the lawn a good soaking (a 6 inch depth) once a week rather than frequent light watering, say, 10 minutes every 6 hours. Why is this?” – Patrick M. Galla
ANSWER: If you are watering lightly the roots of the grass never get a deep watering and thus never develop a deep root system. Once your grass develops a deep root system it will not only grow lush and healthy, it will choke out a lot of the weeds. With a deep root system, when the watering stops even through draughts, your grass will be able to access water from a greater depth.
The Plant Man is here to help. Send your questions about trees, shrubs and landscaping to steve@landsteward.organd for resources and additional information, or to subscribe to Steve’s free e-mailed newsletter, visit www.landsteward.org
ANSWER: The creepy crawly things may not go away but you may at least have more beneficial ones with ground covers. One thing you may want to begin with is to take an old garden hose and use it as an outline to layout some areas that you would like to have ground cover in. If the area is shaded part of the time and sunny part of the time, you can really do a lot of different effects. You don’t have to have grass but some at least in the beginning as pathways or just something to break up the ground cover will be aesthetically more pleasing to the eye.
Shaded pathways could be great for hostas and shade loving perennials. Sunny areas would be ideal for small flowing shrubs and ornamental grasses. By doing it this way, you will eliminate a lot of future maintenance. I would begin by dividing the area into 3 or 4 sections and work on one at a time. This gives you a chance to live in the areas you plan and continually come up with more ideas to give you the garden you want. A garden is not something you plant just one big time and then stand back and admire. It is a place to which you constantly add new things for your enjoyment. It does not become a maintenance thing but a place to reflect on the day’s experiences and enjoy your own touch of nature.
If you decide to go this route, email back at steve@landsteward.org with more specific details about the first area you plan to do and I will help where I can. Other readers seeking advice on specific groundcover choices are welcome to do the same.
QUESTION: “In a recent column, you said it is better to give the lawn a good soaking (a 6 inch depth) once a week rather than frequent light watering, say, 10 minutes every 6 hours. Why is this?” – Patrick M. Galla
ANSWER: If you are watering lightly the roots of the grass never get a deep watering and thus never develop a deep root system. Once your grass develops a deep root system it will not only grow lush and healthy, it will choke out a lot of the weeds. With a deep root system, when the watering stops even through draughts, your grass will be able to access water from a greater depth.
The Plant Man is here to help. Send your questions about trees, shrubs and landscaping to steve@landsteward.organd for resources and additional information, or to subscribe to Steve’s free e-mailed newsletter, visit www.landsteward.org
Thursday, January 03, 2008
These small plants create big bang for the buck
The New Year is here and garden lovers are thumbing through catalogues and poring over online Web sites planning the look of their landscapes for spring and summer.
As you sift through your horticultural options, bear in mind that a landscape doesn’t have to soar into the stratosphere to be spectacular. Today, I’ll review some plants that are truly beautiful but are definitely “close to ground level.” And as a bonus, most are fairly simple to care for, too.
Tiearella Pirate’s Patch
With a buccaneering name like that, you know it has to be quite special. If your landscape needs an edging plant in an area that is shaded or semi-shaded, this could be the one for you. It is a clumping perennial that grows to a width of around twelve inches with a foliage height of just five inches. The flower spikes grow to about ten inches tall.
Tiearella Pirate’s Patch is sought after because of its early bloom season, fragrance, repeat flowering and unusual leaf shapes. The emerald foliage develops chocolate markings in the summer and turns reddish-brown in the fall. Pirates create a wonderful display with white spires of fragrant, delicate flowers in the spring. Its low, slow-creeping stems make it an ideal groundcover, particularly in soil that is humus-rich and moisture-retentive and somewhat shaded.
The foliage on mature Pirates can become quite large for such a low-growing plant, and up to 250 flower spikes per plant have been reported on three year old plants.
Hellebore Pink Lady
Actually a trio of Hellebore “ladies” but I’ll start with Miss Pink. She’s extremely easy to grow, topping out between 12 and 15 inches tall and about two feet in width. Delightful pink blooms begin to appear in late winter and persist as late as May. When not in bloom, the lush, shiny evergreen foliage remains year-round as a low-growing groundcover.
All of the ladies in the Hellebore family are virtually maintenance free once established and are deer-resistant, if that’s a concern in your area. They like loamy, moist soil with lime and leaf mold. They can provide a delightful mat of groundcover to enhance deciduous shrubs, conifers and broadleaf evergreens.
Don’t forget her “sisters.” Hellebore Red Lady provides red-maroon blooms in late winter to early spring, and Hellebore Blue Lady sports deep purple-blue flowers that are truly breathtaking. All the petite Hellebore ladies are easy to grow and bring forth flowers when most other plants are dormant.
Liriope Big Blue
NEW! Liriope Big Blue An attractive, tufted evergreen perennial groundcover with arching, grass like foliage. Abundant blue flower spikes rise above the foliage in summer followed by clusters of black berries.
Despite its ‘big’ name, this tufted, evergreen perennial has arching, grass-like foliage growing no more than 15 inches tall and wide. In summer, its blue flower spikes rise above the foliage, followed by clusters of black berries in the fall.
Big Blue could be a good alternative (or addition) to Pirate’s Patch as both do well in partially shaded areas. However, Big Blue will also grow well in full or partial sun. Ideal as an edging or ‘regular’ groundcover, members of the Liriope family are often planted on hard-to-mow slopes and banks.
Liriope are tough little guys, growing in sandy or clay soil, enduring heat, drought and even salt spray. However, they do not like “wet feet” so they are best planted in moist but well-drained soil.
Liriope Variegated
The long, grass-like foliage has a bright green “stripe” running the length of each leaf framed each side with edges of creamy pale yellow. Purple flower spikes appear in summer followed by blue-black berry-like fruit in the fall.
Creeping White Phlox
Also known as Phlox subulata, this is another good option for planting on slopes and banks where you’d prefer to avoid mowing. Growing 4 to 6 inches high and around 18 inches wide, it is covered with blossoms in May and June.
In addition to groundcover, Creeping Phlox looks good in rock gardens, atop retaining walls and in hanging planters. Look for other Creeping Phlox varieties in red, emerald blue, apple blossom and candy stripe.
Good things really can come in small packages, so don’t overlook “little guys” like these as you plan your spring planting.
The Plant Man is here to help. Send your questions about trees, shrubs and landscaping to steve@landsteward.org and for resources and additional information, or to subscribe to Steve’s free e-mailed newsletter, visit www.landsteward.org
As you sift through your horticultural options, bear in mind that a landscape doesn’t have to soar into the stratosphere to be spectacular. Today, I’ll review some plants that are truly beautiful but are definitely “close to ground level.” And as a bonus, most are fairly simple to care for, too.
Tiearella Pirate’s Patch
With a buccaneering name like that, you know it has to be quite special. If your landscape needs an edging plant in an area that is shaded or semi-shaded, this could be the one for you. It is a clumping perennial that grows to a width of around twelve inches with a foliage height of just five inches. The flower spikes grow to about ten inches tall.
Tiearella Pirate’s Patch is sought after because of its early bloom season, fragrance, repeat flowering and unusual leaf shapes. The emerald foliage develops chocolate markings in the summer and turns reddish-brown in the fall. Pirates create a wonderful display with white spires of fragrant, delicate flowers in the spring. Its low, slow-creeping stems make it an ideal groundcover, particularly in soil that is humus-rich and moisture-retentive and somewhat shaded.
The foliage on mature Pirates can become quite large for such a low-growing plant, and up to 250 flower spikes per plant have been reported on three year old plants.
Hellebore Pink Lady
Actually a trio of Hellebore “ladies” but I’ll start with Miss Pink. She’s extremely easy to grow, topping out between 12 and 15 inches tall and about two feet in width. Delightful pink blooms begin to appear in late winter and persist as late as May. When not in bloom, the lush, shiny evergreen foliage remains year-round as a low-growing groundcover.
All of the ladies in the Hellebore family are virtually maintenance free once established and are deer-resistant, if that’s a concern in your area. They like loamy, moist soil with lime and leaf mold. They can provide a delightful mat of groundcover to enhance deciduous shrubs, conifers and broadleaf evergreens.
Don’t forget her “sisters.” Hellebore Red Lady provides red-maroon blooms in late winter to early spring, and Hellebore Blue Lady sports deep purple-blue flowers that are truly breathtaking. All the petite Hellebore ladies are easy to grow and bring forth flowers when most other plants are dormant.
Liriope Big Blue
NEW! Liriope Big Blue An attractive, tufted evergreen perennial groundcover with arching, grass like foliage. Abundant blue flower spikes rise above the foliage in summer followed by clusters of black berries.
Despite its ‘big’ name, this tufted, evergreen perennial has arching, grass-like foliage growing no more than 15 inches tall and wide. In summer, its blue flower spikes rise above the foliage, followed by clusters of black berries in the fall.
Big Blue could be a good alternative (or addition) to Pirate’s Patch as both do well in partially shaded areas. However, Big Blue will also grow well in full or partial sun. Ideal as an edging or ‘regular’ groundcover, members of the Liriope family are often planted on hard-to-mow slopes and banks.
Liriope are tough little guys, growing in sandy or clay soil, enduring heat, drought and even salt spray. However, they do not like “wet feet” so they are best planted in moist but well-drained soil.
Liriope Variegated
The long, grass-like foliage has a bright green “stripe” running the length of each leaf framed each side with edges of creamy pale yellow. Purple flower spikes appear in summer followed by blue-black berry-like fruit in the fall.
Creeping White Phlox
Also known as Phlox subulata, this is another good option for planting on slopes and banks where you’d prefer to avoid mowing. Growing 4 to 6 inches high and around 18 inches wide, it is covered with blossoms in May and June.
In addition to groundcover, Creeping Phlox looks good in rock gardens, atop retaining walls and in hanging planters. Look for other Creeping Phlox varieties in red, emerald blue, apple blossom and candy stripe.
Good things really can come in small packages, so don’t overlook “little guys” like these as you plan your spring planting.
The Plant Man is here to help. Send your questions about trees, shrubs and landscaping to steve@landsteward.org and for resources and additional information, or to subscribe to Steve’s free e-mailed newsletter, visit www.landsteward.org
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