Month: July 2008

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Lagerstroemia aka Crape Myrtle

This GardenLady is absolutely delighted with her Lagerstroemia -Crape Myrtle this summer. Just a few years old it is blooming its head off. It is gorgeous! A showstopper. And this flowering shrub or tree can bloom up to 120 days- from July through September. I don’t think there is a flowering tree or shrub that can beat or even match that kind of blooming period. TheGardenLady is “johnny come lately” to having a Crape Myrtle because she nevever thought the Crape Myrtel would grow in her temperature zone.

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Diagnosing Marigold Problems

 

                           Photo taken by juggzy_malone

TheGardenLady received this question from Liz on her “Caring for Marigolds” post.

I am growing marigolds in tall (3″) pots in a very sunny location of my backyard. In the pots I have also planted white flowering bacopa, ivy and a browny spikey grass (not sure of the name).  Everything in the pots were growing well for a few weeks until recently when I noticed that the bacopa stopped flowering and the foliage and flowers of  the marigolds had turned into a daily meal for something.  I’ve checked in the soil, and around the marigolds both in the day and in the evening but can ft locate any insects other than the one lonely earwig.  I have read that the only pests that will feast on marigolds are slugs but I can’t find any in/around my pots. Can you offer any information on what may be causing my frustrations???

You write that you created a mixed pot of plants that includes bacopa and marigolds. Was it your idea of putting these plants together? TheGardenLady would not recommend combining marigold and bacopa in one pot. My understanding is that bacopa will stop flowering with severe drying out. Bacopa likes part sun. But marigolds like full sun and don’t need as frequent watering.

Not knowing the kind of ivy you have or what the grass is that you have, I cannot tell you the proper culture for those two plants.

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Spigelia Marylandica

In the July 15th post, TheGardenLady wrote about her visit to Chanticleer. One of the pleasures of touring a garden is to discover “new” plants. TheGardenLady and her friends found a plant that they had never seen before.

Chanticleer has, at each of their gardens, a list of all the plants that are located in that garden and on their website they have a list of all the plants in the gardens. But long lists are difficult to use.

However, one page of the Chanticleer website has a special listing of what is blooming by date and TheGardenLady was able to locate the plant on the date when it was first blooming in the park at an area called The Water Wheel.

The plant is called Spigelia marilandica. Spigelia marilandica has upward facing, trumpet-shaped, brilliant red flowers (to 2″ long) atop stiff stems growing to 18″ tall. Each flower is yellow inside and flares at the top to form five pointed lobes which looks like a yellow star. Flowers bloom in June. It has glossy green, ovate to lance-shaped leaves that are up to 4″ long.  It is described as one of the most striking and beautiful of the native perennials. This is exactly how TheGardenLady and her friends felt when seeing the plant for the first time, even before they knew what it was.

Apparently this plant is a native plant of Southeastern US but websites say that it will survive as far north as Zone 5. There are common names for this plant such as Indian Pink or pinkroot. It likes a bright woodland in shade or partial shade or sun plus well drained soil. A surprisingly hardly plant, though it is best established by late summer for reliable success in gardens and containers. It has no known diseases or pest problems and Deer don’t
like it.

It should never be taken from the wild. It can be bought in numerous
nurseries. TheGardenLady was able to buy Spigelia marilandica at Russell Gardens Wholesale, but they said the plant is very popular so they had few left. There are other places where one can buy Spigelia marilandica (e.g. here or here).

Let TheGardenLady know what you think of this native plant.

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Brugmansias

                          Photo taken by Dara at the New York Botanical Garden

One day this hot week, TheGardenLady and friends visited the New York Botanical Garden. If you have never visited this Botanical Garden, you garden lovers must make it a point to go to see its 50 gardens and plant collections. Try to pick a cooler day to allow you to walk comfortably on its 250 acres. But any day is worth while visiting the NYBG. This is one of the great gardens of the world.

In the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory on the NYBG grounds, this time I toured the building, the Brugmansias were having a brilliant show. I saw 6 Brugmansias in full bloom in one wing of the conservatory.  Continue reading “Brugmansias”

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Chanticleer

Photo by Bluberd

TheGardenLady loves to visit gardens both public and private, and this summer she has been doing a lot of garden visiting.

Last week TheGardenLady went to tour a favorite garden in Wayne, Pennsylvania called Chanticleer. This 30 acre garden was donated by the owners’ son for the public to enjoy. It is a delight to visit because there is something in bloom from April to October.  And interspersed in the gardens are many unusual garden ornaments including the rooster -Chanticleer- from which the estate takes its name.

Photo by My aim is true

In 14th century Middle English Chanticleer is the rooster in verse narratives from Old French Chanticleer, the name of the rooster in the tale of Reynard the Fox. A cock, so called from the clearness or loudness of his voice in crowing. See here.

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Where Have All The Butterflies Gone?

Photo taken by Martin LaBar

Is it just TheGardenLady, or have others noticed that there are very few butterflies in the garden this summer?

Yes, TheGardenLady saw one yellow swallowtail, one viceroy, one black swallowtail and a half dozen cabbage white butterflies on her flowers and she saw a fritillary in her friend’s garden. She also had a magical moment at a plant nursery where a yellow swallowtail clung to her arm as she carried away a plant she wanted to purchase.

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Acid for Hydrangeas

TheGardenLady received this question from Martha:

How can I add acid around my hydrangeas?

Because hydrangeas like an acidic soil – especially if you want the blue blooms- you can supplement the fertilizer and add acid.  Know that not all the hydrangeas will change color. Usually it is the pink and blue hydrangeas that can have their flowers change color, not the white or red hydrangeas.

Any of the following will help: aluminum sulfate (1/4 oz. per gal. of water) which can be bought in many garden stores, egg shells, coffee grounds which you can get free, TheGardenLady was told, at places like Starbucks,  ground up orange or grapefruit peels.

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