Michigan Gardener - May 2015 by Michigan Gardener

May 2015

MichiganGardener.com

Your guide to Great Lakes gardening

perennial partners A colorful, classic trio

janetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s journal Best of the best advice

new plants

New annuals for 2015

feature

Planting beautiful summer containers

profile

A historic family farm garden

little gems

Native spring ephemerals, Part 2

Please thank our advertisers in this issue

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Michigan Gardener | May 2015 | MichiganGardener.com

Garden Wisdom

To-Do List............................................................6 Ask MG................................................................8 Getting to know: Boxwood............................10 Vegetable Patch...................................................12 Books for the Michigan Gardener..............14 New Annuals for 2015................................. 18 Herb of the Year: Savory............................ 28 Feature: Native spring ephemerals........30 Calendar.............................................................32 Feature: Green roofs.................................... 36 Perennial Partners......................................... 38 Advertiser Index............................................. 41 Weather Wrap............................................... 42 Subscription Form......................................... 42 Where to pick up Michigan Gardener.......42 Bulk Subscriptions.............................................43

One of the most life-affirming things we can do is to plant a vegetable garden. There is nothing so satisfying as being able to walk into your own yard and ask, “What’s for dinner?” —C.L. Fornari

Feature: Planting summer containers......................................44 Places to Grow...............................................48 Classified Ads.................................................49 Garden Profile: A historic family farm garden.......................50 Through the Lens...........................................53 Janet’s Journal...................................Back Cover On the cover: Paint your spring garden with this colorful grouping: columbine, old-fashioned bleeding heart, and geranium. Turn to page 38 to learn more. Photo: Eric Hofley / Michigan Gardener

To Our Readers... Gerbera Daisy Sweet Surprise: Not just a pretty flower. A low-maintenance, everblooming bedding plant.

Impatiens Bounce: This New Guinea Impatiens is the best alternative to regular impatiens. Impatiens downy mildew resistant!

A new gardening season is upon us and soon we’ll be planting annuals and enjoying Michigan’s outdoor beauty. Michigan Gardener is our region’s finest gardening resource. Our advertisers have made this possible for 19 years. When calling and visiting these fine businesses, please tell them you saw their ad in Michigan Gardener. Our event calendar is the most comprehensive in the area and is regularly updated on our website. These listings are available 24/7, 365 days a year. So when you are looking for talks, classes, garden walks and more, think MichiganGardener.com, and click on “Garden Event Calendar.” If you are presenting an event, please submit your event information—our calendar will help send gardeners your way!

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After another frigid winter, we wish you a bountiful gardening season!

Publisher/Editor Eric Hofley Design & Production Jonathon Hofley Advertising Eric Hofley Circulation Jonathon Hofley

TROY • 248-689-8735 3301 John R • 1/4 mile north of 16 Mile Rd.

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Contributors Karen Bovio Cheryl English Emaline Fronckowiak Mary Gerstenberger Julia Hofley Rosann Kovalcik Janet Macunovich Steve Martinko Beverly Moss Steven Nikkila George Papadelis Sandie Parrott Traven Pelletier Jean/Roxanne Riggs Deborah Silver Jim Slezinski Lisa Steinkopf Steve Turner

16291 W. 14 Mile Rd., Suite 5 Beverly Hills, MI 48025-3327 Phone: 248-594-5563 Fax: 248-594-5564 E-mail: publisher@MichiganGardener.com Website: www.MichiganGardener.com Publishing schedule 6 issues per year: April, May, June, July/Aug, Sept/Oct, Nov/Dec. Published the first week of the mo. Subscriptions (Please make check payable to Michigan Gardener) 1 yr, 6 iss/$14 2 yr, 12 iss/$26 3 yr, 18 iss/$36 Back issues All past issues are available. Please send your request along with a check for $3.00 per issue payable to Michigan Gardener. Canadian subscriptions 1 yr, 6 iss/$22 US 2 yr, 12 iss/$42 US Copyright © 2015 Michigan Gardener. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced or used in any form without the expressed, written permission of the publisher. Neither the advertiser nor the publisher will be responsible for misinformation, typographical errors, omissions, etc. contained herein. Michigan Gardener is published by Motor City Publishing, Inc.

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to-do list

Feature Task: Attracting birds and bees to your garden

Annuals

Evergreens

• Plant containers using the Thriller, Filler, Spiller concept. The Thriller is the focal point; Spillers cascade over the pots; and Fillers complete the look. When selecting plants, consider how much sunlight the plants will receive; growth habit; texture of the plants; and the color scheme of your container garden. An odd number of plants makes the most pleasing arrangement. • The last frost-free day in Southeastern Michigan is roughly May 15. Don’t try to push the season too much unless you’re prepared to cover tender plants in the event of a frost. • Plant containers first because they can be moved or easily covered if there’s a frost. Plant annual flower beds later in the month because the soil will be warmer and there is less chance of frost. If the soil isn’t warm enough, annuals won’t perform well. • Prepare beds early in the month. Remove any perennial weeds and mix in organicrich soil amendments. For sandy soil, add peat or compost for more texture and water-holding properties. To break up clay soil, add finely shredded pine bark. Adding cow manure, compost, or other organic materials every year helps maintain healthy soil. Compost also helps with water retention in sandy soils. Be sure to mix it in well about 4 inches down.

• Deadhead rhododendrons and azaleas when they’re finished blooming to ensure better flowering next year. On large-leaf rhododendrons, pinch back new growth so that only one to three leaves remain on the new shoot. This will encourage branching later in the season and increase the number of flowers for next spring. • Apply organic fertilizer at this time. • Remove any winter-damaged spots on your evergreen shrubs.

Spring-Flowering Bulbs • As spring bulbs start to emerge, take note of bare spots and gaps that you’ll want to fill with additional bulbs in September and October. Photos are a great way to capture the progression of the garden.

Summer-Flowering Bulbs • Plant elephant ear bulbs once the danger of frost has passed. Large, softball-size bulbs produce gorgeous plants with huge heartshaped leaves up to 2 feet across and 3 feet long. It’s a great thriller in a large container or a showstopper in the garden.

Fruits • Plant strawberry plants early this month. • Pruning fruit trees for proper tree shape and best fruit production is important. New trees should be pruned to give them the best shape for future harvesting. This is one case where a little pruning on a young tree yields big results later. • Many disease problems with fruit can be prevented, but only rarely can the problems be fixed after the trees are infected. Proper timing of the sprays is very important. DO NOT spray when the trees are in bloom. You do not want to kill the pollinators. Resume spraying after all the petals have dropped.

Houseplants • Reinvigorate your houseplants by giving them a vacation outside. Bring them outside in the shade and gradually introduce them into more light. Use systemic granules every six weeks to keep your plants insect free. Fertilize liberally. Plants outside run out of nutrients pretty quickly because you have to water more frequently. • If a large houseplant has outgrown its space indoors, consider planting it into the ground or a larger container. Plants will grow and have a great summer. When the season is over, you might consider adding it to the compost pile and replacing it inside with a younger, smaller plant.

Lawn

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• Starting later this month, you may apply a lawn fertilizer about every 6 to 8 weeks. • If you are going to fertilize, try a slow-release fertilizer that is low in phosphorus. Michigan lawns do not need much, if any, phosphorus. It is best to have your soil tested before applying any fertilizer to determine what your lawn really needs. A soil test will save you money in the long run and will save the environment because you are using only what you need. • Remember to mow high. That is, set your blades at least three inches high. • If you have a few weeds in the lawn, it is better to spot treat with a liquid herbicide than a granular. You do not need to overdo it.

Birds and bees provide beauty, education and entertainment in the garden, but also have important roles to play. Birds eat insects and grubs, while bees pollinate crops. Create a haven in your garden for birds and other wildlife by providing a few essential elements: Shelter from elements and predators. Birds like to hop from a bush on their way to a feeder. Keep feeders free and clear from short bushes or tall groundcover where cats can hide. Evergreen trees and bushes provide cover for winter and birds will eat the cones on the conifers and the berries off hollies. Plants to provide food, nesting sites, perches and shelter. Bushes with berries, like amelanchier or viburnum, are excellent choices because they have berries for the birds, beautiful flowers in the spring or summer, and great fall color. Birds also love bushes with thorns, like rose bushes or blackberries, to protect them from cats or other predators. A clean water source. That can be a birdbath, dish, pond, or even a patio water garden. Another way to attract birds is running or dripping water in your birdbath. The sound lets them know that the water is fresh. Leave an ant hill or two in your garden— birds will land on top of the hill and use the ants to get rid of mites and pests on their bodies. To provide a healthy environment for

• Your lawn should receive about 1 inch of water per week, either from rainfall or supplemental watering. Supplemental watering should be applied once a week unless the soil is very sandy and porous, in which case you should apply 2 waterings of 1/2 inch each time. Watering a little bit daily produces shallow roots and may result in heat stress.

Perennials • It’s a great time to add a new perennial or two to your beds or build a new one. Be sure to leave room for purchases later in the year. If you fill up all your space now, you’ll miss out on a lot of great summer and fall perennials. • For new beds, plan on about 25 percent spring bloomers, 50 percent summer bloomers and 25 percent fall bloomers. Follow the spacing on the plant tags; it may look bare now, but in a few years it will be a full, beautiful bed. Fill in any empty spaces with annuals for color until your plants reach full size. • Fertilize near the end of the month with an organic fertilizer or begin a water-soluble fertilizer program. • Re-label perennials. This will help you identify them later, when friends ask about them. Remember to include such informa-

bees, let a little bit of your yard go wild to give bees a natural habitat. Leave an area of grass un-mowed and let wild clover grow. A small brush pile is a great place for bees to make a home, and leave patches of dirt exposed for bees that live underground. Fill your garden with bee-friendly plants: • Flowers with single petals, which have more pollen. • Yellow, white, blue and purple flowers, which are more attractive to bees. • A staggered plan of plants in flower, so there’s always something blooming and pollen is available. • Flowering vegetables and fruit plants, like berries, melons, squash, cucumbers and trees. Some great ideas: aster, bidens, coreopsis, cosmos, echinacea, heliotrope, lavender, monarda, rose, rosemary and thyme. Whenever possible, keep the use of pesticides to a minimum, unless pests threaten the life of your plant. Use sound pest management practices and carefully diagnose pest problems to determine the best course of action. Birds in your garden will often deal with the problem on their own and a pesticide application may not be necessary. If you do use a treatment, always read label directions before applying. If you need advice, talk with an expert at your local garden center.

tion as where and when you got this plant.

Trees & Shrubs • Prune off dead wood on hydrangeas as their leaves begin to emerge. • Once spring-flowering shrubs have finished blooming, prune them back. This is the best time to shape them up for the following year. • Begin to fertilize trees and shrubs at the end of this month.

Vegetables • Prepare your vegetable garden like your annual garden. Add organic material and work into the top 4 to 6 inches of the soil. Also add organic fertilizer for extra nutrients. Throughout the growing season add organic material to your vegetable garden to help keep your garden healthy and produce better yields. • If you have a critter problem such as rabbits, groundhogs and skunks, there are many repellents to deter them. It is a good idea to alternate the repellents so the critters do not become accustomed to the smells. Provided by the professionals at English Gardens.

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Growing rock cress Will my winter-sown aubrietia seeds (which have already sprouted) bloom this year? L., Auburn Hills Aubrieta deltoidea often appears under the common name “rock cress” (which is also the common name for Arabis) and has flowers very similar to creeping phlox (Phlox subulata), which can lead to all kinds of confusion. There is little difference between the rock cress known as Arabis and that called Aubrieta. Aubrieta has a Mediterranean heritage, which means a dry, sunny, and rocky terrain. Unfortunately, winter-sown seedlings will not bloom the first year they appear, but rather their second season. Since aubrietia can be a short-lived perennial, casting seed every few years in the fall will help ensure ongoing blooms season after season. These new plants deserve attention their first year so that they establish themselves. Keep the soil moist and water regularly. Do not make the soil soggy, however, and make sure they have excellent drainage. Once into the bloom cycle, prune them back to half their size right after bloom, which will encourage compact, thick growth. Avoid pruning in late fall or spring as this will prevent blooming. Mature plants can be divided and transplanted after 2 to 3 years growth.

The growth height of beech trees I have read conflicting descriptions on the growth height and width for weeping beech (Fagus sylvatica ‘Purpurea Pendula’). Some say 50 to 60 feet tall and others 8 to 20 feet tall. What is the correct height? D., Howell What you may be reading is the projected growth over a great number of years for the beautiful beech. Beech trees are considered slow-growing trees. Growth rate is about one foot a year, with optimum conditions, as compared to a silver maple (Acer sacchari-

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num) which will grow 10 to 12 feet in 5 years. In ten years, a regular beech tree might be 9 to 12 feet tall. The purple varieties grow even slower than that, as do the weeping cultivars because they are hybridized versions of the species. When you hybridize to accentuate a particular characteristic, you interfere with other genetic habits. There is no “correct height” because they are also susceptible to growing conditions which can alter their growth rate. They prefer full sun, but will tolerate partial shade. They will tolerate a good range of soil types from clay to slightly acidic, but prefer loamy clay with some compost. They must have good drainage and be protected from hot afternoon sun and dried out soil. Consider where you want to plant it and what growing conditions you are actually providing in that location. Make sure the soil is amended for water and air circulation. Do not plant so close to a building that in the first ten years, you are faced with pruning the tree lopsided, or worse, having to remove it. A wise guideline is “Right plant, right place.” Give considerable thought to location. Beech trees are not fond of transplanting, whether they are the species, weepers, tricolors or columnar varieties. Trees are living entities and do keep on growing. Depending on the species and cultivar, they grow at different rates. The slow to moderate growth of the beech tree in general, however, makes it residential friendly and definitely worth the wait for this elegant tree.

Moss in the lawn Will lime get rid of moss in lawn? R.A., Grand Haven Liming can sometimes help because of its ability to condition the soil into a better structure and to neutralize an otherwise acid soil. Extra fertilizing in those areas affected can also improve conditions. Core aeration can also be beneficial, as well as increasing the humus content of the soil base. Both these processes reduce soil compaction and low fertility. Consider tree canopies that have matured and may be shading out the lawn. Trees may need to be limbed up and their canopies thinned to allow more light through. Where the lawn is thin from lack of sunlight or mowing at a lower height, moss and algae can move in. Take a multiple-prong approach to eliminate moss build up rather than relying on one solution.

When to plant trees in the spring When in the spring can I start planting trees? Do I need to wait until after the last frost date? D.W., Potterville The best time to plant trees is early spring, according to Dr. Bert Cregg of Michigan State

Dealing with winter kill on shrubs I transplanted large boxwoods last fall and now the leaves are yellow. What do I do? Cut them back, fertilize, water? S.L., DeWitt Many evergreen and deciduous shrubs have been affected by another extraordinary Michigan winter. In 2013-2014, we dealt with record-breaking snowfall. Winter 2014-2015 remained bitter cold from January through early March, with February being the coldest since 1875. Michigan ranked in the top ten states for coldest and below normal precipitation. Shrubs in particular could not avail themselves of fall rain or even hand watering because the ground was already too cold. They also did not get the shelter of extensive and repetitive snow cover to protect them from sunscald. This is when an ounce of prevention can be worth a pound of cure. Many landscaping companies spent more time in fall 2014 wrapping and protecting evergreens and deciduous trees. Although the snowfall was far less, the protection offered by fabric snow screens saved many plants from sunscald and winter desiccation. Shrubs transplanted in fall were more vulnerable to winter kill, especially large, mature ones. The bigger they are, the harder it is for them to feed themselves. Because of the capricious nature of Michigan fall weather, unless you can plant in September, it is advisable to wait until spring to plant new trees and shrubs or transplant mature shrubs to another location. In late fall, shrubs have little to no time to acclimate themselves to their new location and avail themselves of soil nutrients and water. When transplanted, a shrub goes into “shock” as it’s just been pulled from University. Summer and its accompanying heat are the worst. Late fall can be hazardous due to early winter onset. Early spring in Michigan can still bring cold temperatures, but that is fine if the tree is dormant. It is also the beginning of the growing season, where natural rainfall is more common. To ensure success, avoid planting a deciduous tree when it is pushing new growth. Wait until after the spring growth flush is complete and provide consistent water to prevent plant shock after planting. An evergreen is more tolerant of spring planting, as it breaks dormancy much later. The key is proper planting depth, amending the planting hole, surrounding soil and backfill, and providing consistent water. Watering new trees in late fall into winter is often overlooked, which can lead to tree loss. The planted

its established soil system and relocated to an unknown area. It actually goes into a hold pattern until the tiny root hairs reestablish communication with the new soil location and nutrient chemistry. It simply isn’t instantaneous like a light switch. They need water to facilitate nutrient absorption. Depending on how late some shrubs are planted, they may have gotten no chance at all before the ground froze to access what they needed. They went into the “fasting” mode of winter with little moisture and nutritional support. Consequently, even for established plants, you see a great deal of “bronzing” of arborvitaes, yews, holly shrubs and Alberta spruces, and yellow leaves on boxwoods this spring. You can trim out the winterkill on the boxwoods and holly shrubs, and shear the evergreens in another month. Depending on how severe the winterkill is to the shrub and how misshapen the plant will look after pruning, it may be wiser to simply replace the shrub entirely. If that is not an option, then prune out or shear off the dead, reshape, and provide regular watering early. Also apply a granular evergreen fertilizer to the root zone. They are starved for nutrients and water, both of which they could not access due to the quick onset of winter. They will eventually produce new growth. But be patient. Be prepared to give your transplanted shrubs and any others on your property extra water and care this season. NOAA is predicting that summer 2015 will be hotter than normal, with average rainfall. Homeowners will have to step up their watering game rather than leave it to nature to water the plants when the temperatures rise. tree has no way to replenish its reserves once the ground freezes and it endures harsh winds and temperatures. It gets nothing from the snow fall until it melts and the ground thaws. In Michigan the optimum planting time for trees is the spring. The ground is thawed and there is higher probability of natural rainfall to supplement hand watering. For flowering trees and those that leaf out early, there is always the risk of an overnight frost in April. In southeastern Michigan, the last frost date is roughly the end of May. In Michigan, there can be frost one night and a heat wave the next. Be prepared to cover susceptible plants if you are concerned about flower and leaf bud loss. Answers provided by Beverly Moss, owner of Garden Rhythms.

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getting to know... Boxwoods

here are 3 main species of boxwoods: common, Japanese (littleleaf), and Korean. There are hundreds of common boxwood cultivars alone, coupled with hybrids, which are a cross between the aforementioned varieties. Their cold hardiness zone, color, growth habit, and sun/ shade tolerance are all listed on their tags. But what about pest resistance and foliage odors? Sometimes the tag may be missing crucial traits or even list an incorrect hardiness zone, thereby subjecting your plant to harsher extremes than it is fully capable of handling. The boxwoods described below are the ones I believe to be the best selections for our area:

‘Vardar Valley’

Steve • Common boxwood Martinko • Zones 5b-9 • Most resistant to leaf miners but very subject to psyllids • Great green color but must be protected from winter sun • For those who like the fragrance, this one has it • Great storied past, having been discovered in Macedonia in 1935

‘Green Mountain’

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• Canadian hybrid (common x Korean) • Zones 4b-9 • Doesn’t have the smell as most commons do • Susceptible to leaf miners • Nice dark color during winter months • Least prone to root rot • Susceptible to boxwood blight • Great replacement for Alberta spruces

‘Winter Gem’ • Canadian hybrid (Japanese x Korean) • Zones 5-9 • Very dense, little leaf foliage • Quicker growth and recovery potential • Vibrant green color • Susceptible to leaf miners but easiest to control using systemics • Prone to boxwood blight disease

Just keep in mind that zone hardiness is the most important factor when selecting boxwoods. ‘Winter Gem’ is commonly labeled as hardy to zone 4, when it is actually a zone 5. The opposite is found with ‘Green Velvet’: it is usually listed as a zone 5, but it can handle zone 4, as evidenced by the past two years. It has survived quite well during two of Michigan’s worst winters. If you provide the proper care and attention to boxwoods, then the negatives listed above shouldn’t steer you away from these options.

‘Green Velvet’

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110 S. MAIN • DOWNTOWN CHELSEA • 734-475-3539 • www.thegardenmill.com

2015

Kick back, relax and enjoy the gorgeous fragrance of our easy growing ‘Sweet Summer Love’ Clematis. Visit us at provenwinners-shrubs.com.

Michigan Gardener | May 2015 | MichiganGardener.com

vegetable patch Huge Variety of Perennials & Hybrid Annuals Herbs & Hanging Baskets • Unusual Flowering Shrubs Garden Statuary & Pottery • Fountains

EVERLASTINGS IN THE WILDWOOD 2577 Brewer Rd., Owosso, MI 48867 • 989-723-7175 www.EverlastingsInTheWildwood.com

Open 7 Days: 10am-6pm / 4.5 mi. N of I-69, take M-52 N, then E on Brewer Rd.

Celebrate Spring with Wojo’s From our greenhouse to your home!

Spring is here and we have everything you need from gorgeous porch pots and beautiful hanging baskets to the newest varieties of perennials, trees & shrubs. 5-Year, Hassle-Free Guarantee on most Trees & Shrubs 1 Year on Roses, Rhododendrons, Azaleas & Perennials

Planting warm season vegetables

ay has arrived and many gardenraise the soil temperature for early planting, ers have a variety of cool weather use black plastic mulch and be sure there is vegetables already planted in the good soil contact. If you plan to leave the plasgarden. However, don’t let the sunshine and tic and cut holes for setting in transplants, be warmer days cause you to jump the gun on sure to run a soaker hose or drip irrigation planting your warm season crops. lines under the plastic to provide water durThere are a number of vegetables that do ing the summer. not tolerate frost and cold weather very well What can happen if warm season vegand so they are referred to as warm season etables catch a chill? If the soil temperatures vegetables. Included in this list: beans, corn, are too cold, there will be little root growth cucumber, eggplant, melons, New Zealand and the roots on the transplant will have difspinach, okra, peppers, summer and winter ficulty establishing and functioning. This squash, and tomatoes. For these plants, it is could lead to desiccation if either sunny or best to wait until after the last frost date for windy conditions arise. For transplants, such planting. There are a variety of taas tomato and squash, growth may bles listing the last frost date (or the slow down or cease for a while and date of the last 32-degree F freeze) this may delay the expected harvest for different areas of Michigan. time. All of the warm season vegetaMSU has the frost table from the bles are frost sensitive and will need Michigan State Climatologist Office protection if a frost is in the forecast. which lists frost probabilities by city: Smart gardeners may also want tinyurl.com/mypu8vp. If you decide to check the days to maturity for to plant a warm season crop prior to the specific variety of vegetable they the last frost, keep a close eye on the Mary plant—keep in mind that first frost weather reports and be prepared to Gerstenberger dates also occur in the fall and could take steps to protect your warmthcertainly affect the quality or abunloving veggies from damage. dance of your harvest. Be aware that soil temperatures can also Keeping the needs of your warm season affect the germination of warm season vegcrops in mind should help you have a great etable seeds. Many heat-loving crops will gergarden and a bountiful harvest! minate best when the soil temperature reachMary Gerstenberger is the Consumer Hores 60 degrees F or higher. For vegetables such ticulture Coordinator at the Michigan State as eggplant, okra, squash and tomato, a soil University Extension in Macomb County, MI. temperature of 70 degrees F or above is betFor vegetable and gardening information from ter. Soil thermometers may be a good investMSU, visit www.migarden.msu.edu. ment for anyone who prefers to plant seed out of doors. For those who would like to try and Call the toll-free Michigan State University Lawn and Garden Hotline at 888-678-3464 for answers to your gardening questions. Botanical Park

OVE R 10 0 0 P L A NT VA R I ETI ES

Spring Hours: Monday-Saturday 8am-9pm Sunday: 9am-7pm

www.wojos.com ORTONVILLE 2570 Oakwood Rd. Ortonville, MI 48462 248-627-6498 3 Mi E. of M-15 at Hadley Rd.

DAVISON 7360 E. Court St. Davison, MI 48423 810-658-9221 Exit #143 off I-69 at Irish Rd.

LAKE ORION 559 S. Lapeer Rd. Lake Orion, MI 48362 248-690-7435 3/4 Mile N. of Clarkston Rd.

Come see the spectacle! Mid April - Mid June: Open Fri-Wed 10am-5pm (Closed Thurs) See Michigan’s most complete Lilac collection— over 300 different varieties 144 Crabapple varieties: Peak bloom in May Apr 1-Oct 31: By appt. Please call to arrange a visit. Donations appreciated; no pets please.

5444 Welch Rd, Emmett, MI 48022 810-387-2765 • www.visitsunnyfields.org

Enviro-weather presentation

Gardeners, landscapers, farmers, garden center employees, and others interested are invited to attend a free presentation on Enviroweather on Tuesday, May 12, 2015 from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. at the MSU Extension office, 21885 Dunham Rd., Clinton Twp., 48036. Enviroweather is a weather-based pest, natural resources and production management tool. Beth Bishop of MSU Extension will present information on understanding degree days and how to use the Enviro-weather website. Please register in advance by calling the MSU Extension office at 586-469-6440.

Did another brutal winter take its toll on your landscape? Our family has been designing and installing landscapes for over 80 years. Call us—we can bring your landscape back to life!

Our Specialty: NEW & CHOICE varieties Fresh shipments arrive throughout the season. Stop in to see the latest gems!

Time to SPRING into action! LANDSCAPE DESIGN & INSTALLATION

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TREES ARE PLANTS TOO...JUST REALLY BIG ONES. They are the most valuable and hardest-to-replace assets in your landscape. Give them the professional care they deserve: CALL GUARDIAN TREE EXPERTS.

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Servicing the Greater Washtenaw County area including these zip codes: 48103, 48104, 48105, 48108, 48114, 48116, 48118, 48130, 48137, 48139, 48167, 48168, 48169, 48170, 48175, 48176, 48178, 48187, 48189

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You get one chance to plant a tree correctly— let us get your tree’s life off to the proper start. From the purchase to the planting, we handle the whole process to ensure good results for you.

Westcroft Gardens

Michigan Gardener | May 2015 | MichiganGardener.com

PLANT NURSERY

Come visit the oldest farm in Michigan still owned and operated by the same family, established 1776

Call us to reserve our gardens for your wedding, party or special event

21803 W. River Rd., Grosse Ile 734-676-2444 www.westcroftgardens.com

Trees • Shrubs • Herbs Perennials • Annuals Vegetables • Azaleas Rhododendrons Botanical Gardens Farmers Market • Halloween Rides

The Know Maintenance Perennial Garden by Roy Diblik Looking for a lush, gorgeous, low-maintenance perennial garden? Noted plantsman and designer Roy Diblik shows you the way in his book, The Know Maintenance Perennial Garden (Timber Press, 216 pages, $24.95). Readers can choose from 62 garden plans, each designed to fill a 10- by 14-foot space. Every plan details the plants you need and shows you exactly where to place them. Diblik’s guide features plans for sun, shade, and an array of different moods and color schemes. The plans are like building blocks to arrange any way you want. Gardeners with limited space can select a single plan, or part of one. Large spaces can combine multiple plans or repeat a single favorite. The first half of the book covers site preparation, planting, care, maintenance, and of course, key plants for the author’s “know maintenance” system. Diblik shows you how to reduce garden chores to only minutes a week. You will learn when to plant and water, and how to weed strategically.

Epic Tomatoes: How to Select and Grow the Best Varieties of All Time by Craig LeHoullier

When you use the original,

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Espoma Organic® Potting Mix is a rich blend of the finest natural ingredients that help grow larger plants, stronger roots and more abundant blooms. This premium mix is ideal for all indoor and outdoor container plants and safe or kids and pets. It’s no wonder Espoma has been #1 in organics for over 85 years!

A natural in the garden since 1929. www.espoma.com

The author’s first book, Epic Tomatoes (Storey Publishing, 256 pages, $19.95), is the culmination of decades of a passion for collecting, researching and growing hundreds of tomato varieties. As the tomato adviser for Seed Savers Exchange, LeHoullier has trialed more than 1,200 tomato varieties and has introduced more than 100 varieties to the trade over the past 30 years. Epic Tomatoes offers everything a tomato enthusiast needs to know about growing more than 200 varieties of tomatoes—from sowing seeds and planting to cultivating and collecting seeds at the end of the season. The author also offers a comprehensive guide to the various tomato pests and diseases and explains how best to avoid them. This guide offers a detailed look at the specifics of growing tomatoes, with beautiful photographs and helpful tomato profiles throughout.

Trees of Eastern North America by Gil Nelson, Christopher J. Earle, and Richard Spellenberg Covering 825 species, more than any comparable field guide, Trees of Eastern North America (Princeton University, 720 pages, $29.95) is comprehensive, easy-to-use, and fully illustrated with thousands of color illustrations by David More. This field guide features detailed descriptions; range maps that provide a thumbnail view of distribution for each native species; “Quick ID” summaries; a user-friendly layout; scientific and common names; the latest taxonomy; information on the most recently naturalized species; keys to leaves and twigs; and an introduction to tree identification, forest ecology, and plant classification and structure. The easy-to-read descriptions present details of size, shape, growth habit, bark, leaves, flowers, fruit, flowering and fruiting times, habitat, and range. In addition, the guide also covers many small, overlooked species normally thought of as shrubs. Trees of Eastern North America is an essential guide for every tree lover.

Milarch Nursery Q UA LIT Y P L A N TS & S E RV I C E S I N C E 1 972

27 ACRES of flowering & shade trees, flowering shrubs, perennials, evergreens, and ground covers. We have gorgeous Rhododendrons, Roses, Topiaries and Perennials! TO SEE OUR INCREDIBLE SELECTION, PLEASE VISIT MILARCHNURSERY.COM AND CLICK ON “AVAILABILITY.”

Bloom! garden center ORGANIC GARDENING MAY SPECIAL!!! FREE PACK OF SELECT ANNUALS W/ $50 PURCHASE

· UNIQUE PLANTS · WATER GARDENS GARDEN ART · FAIRIES VISIT US AT DEXTER GREEN DAY, MAY 17 FREE RAISED GARDEN BED WORKSHOP

1885 Baker rd · dexter, MI 48130 M-Th. 9-6 F. 9-8 Sa. 9-6 S. 12-5

(734) 426·6600 WWW.BLOOM-GARDENS.COM

28500 HAAS RD • NEW HUDSON, MI 48165 • 248-437-2094 www.milarchnursery.com • Mon-Fri: 8-5:30 Sat: 8-3 Sun: Closed

since 1982

QUALITY PLANTS FOR DEDICATED GARDENERS Perennials, annuals & herbs...our outdoor-grown plants are acclimated to Michigan’s weather for better performance in your garden

SPRING OPEN HOUSE May 23, 9am-5pm Annuals, Perennials, Vegetables, Herbs, Combination planters, Hanging Baskets, Roses, and Much More!

Don’t Forget Mom on Mother’s Day! Jump into Summer with The Uniqueness You Find At Bogie Lake Greenhouse

Flowering Tropical Trees & Shrubs

248-887-5101 1525 Bogie Lake Rd. ~ White Lake 1-1/2 Miles S. of M-59 • Across from Lakeland H.S.

FREE Presentation at 12pm:

Making More Plants Owner Karen Bovio shares tips and techniques for growing your own perennials, annuals, herbs and veggies! She’ll show you how to grow more plants, using time-honored methods of seed sowing, making cuttings, and divisions. Learn which plants respond best to each propagation method and why. Save money by learning a few simple techniques. Karen will demonstrate the methods she has used in her own nursery for the past 30 years. All of her propagation projects can be done using recycled produce containers and other simple items found around the house—no specialized equipment necessary!

Guest Vendors Farmbrook Designs Hypertufa planters, lanterns and garden ornaments. Allow for plenty of time to browse the nursery. You’ll find hundreds of varieties of Michigan-hardy perennials and herbs, as well as interesting annuals & veggie plants.

Visit us at the Brighton Farmer's Market May 2-June 30, Saturdays, 8am-1pm On the Millpond, at First & Cedar Streets. Look for the white van with the yellow daylily!

4330 Golf Club Rd. Howell

517-546-7742

Mon-Fri 9-6 Sat 9-5 Sun 10-4

Our complete catalog is now online! www.specialtygrowers.net

Abbott’s Landscape Nursery

English Gardens

2781 Scio Church Rd., Ann Arbor MI 48103

155 N. Maple Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48103

734-665-8733

734-332-7900

www.abbottsnursery.com May/June hours: Mon-Sat 9-6, Sun 10-5 Abbott’s turn-of-the-century farm is a perfect setting for our unique and beautiful nursery. Owner Mike Abbott likes what gardeners like, both classic and new, and handpicks all our plants. Over 55 Japanese maple and 25 reliablyblooming hydrangea varieties. Come see us— we stock plants you demand and probably some you never knew even existed.

www.EnglishGardens.com Hours – Thru Sun, June 7: Mon-Sat 9-8, Sun 9-6; Starting Mon, June 8: Mon-Sat 9-7, Sun 10-5 Founded in 1954, English Gardens is familyand locally-owned, operating six full-service stores and a full-service landscaping company in Metro Detroit. Each full-service store has a nursery, garden center, patio shop, and seasonal Christmas center featuring the best value and finest quality products and services. For more information: 800-335-GROW.

Alexander’s Farm Market & Greenhouses

WHITMORE LAKE

8600 Jackson Rd., Dexter, MI 48130

734-741-1064

www.fraleighs.com May/June hours: Please call or visit website for current hours Wide variety of perennials, shrubs, ornamental grasses, flowering ornamentals, native plants, shade trees, and evergreens. Expert staff to assist with your landscaping and horticultural questions. We source plants from Michigan growers whenever possible. We stock unusual items, but we really love selling plants that are reliable and functional, but never boring!

Bloom! Garden Center

PLYMOUTH

ANN ARBOR YPSILANTI

Fraleighs Landscape Nursery

6925 Whitmore Lake Rd., Whitmore Lake, MI 48189 Find us on Facebook May/June hours: Daily 9-7 We’re that hidden gem you’ve been hoping to find! Homegrown annuals, vegetables, perennials, extraordinary hanging baskets and planters. Plus our exclusive 99¢ seed selection. Distinctive variety of fruit trees, small fruits, flowering shrubs, climbing vines, herbs, fairy garden plants, and roses, including easy-care shrubs, and luxuriously scented David Austins.

DEXTER CHELSEA

734-426-5067 MANCHESTER

SALINE

MILAN TECUMSEH

Hidden Lake Gardens

1885 Baker Rd., Dexter, MI 48130

6214 Monroe Rd. (M-50), Tipton, MI 49287

734-426-6600

517-431-2060

www.bloom-gardens.com May/June hours: Mon-Thu 9-6, Fri 9-8, Sat 9-6, Sun 12-5 A relaxed atmosphere with full nursery and garden boutique. Unique plants and natives, fountains and water gardening supplies, creative garden art and fairy finds. Our expert staff will help you pick the perfect plant, and our awardwinning landscape designers are also available. “Twilight Tunes” every third Friday, 6-9pm. Gardening workshops.

www.hiddenlakegardens.msu.edu April-October hours: Open daily 9-7 755 acres. Don’t miss one of the finest collections of Dwarf and Rare Conifers—over 500 specimens. Hosta Hillside has over 800 varieties. Enjoy a leisurely drive through the Arboretum. See lush tropicals in the Conservatory. Serene outdoor displays in the Bonsai Courtyard. The Demonstration Garden shows attractive mixed plantings. Great hiking trails and dog-friendly, too!

HillTop Greenhouse & Farms

Lodi Farms

8996 West Liberty, Ann Arbor, MI 48103

2880 S. Wagner Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48103

734-302-4233

734-665-5651

www.hilltopgreenhousea2.com May/June hours: Mon-Fri 9-7, Sat-Sun 9-6 Just 10 minutes from Ann Arbor or Chelsea, our greenhouse is a relaxing drive from all corners. Choose from over 8,000 baskets and 10,000 flats, plus veggie starters, specialty annuals, and lush combination planters. Each plant is grown on site, with hands-on care from start to finish. Smiles, hugs and a friendly staff, free of charge!

www.lodifarms.com May/June hours: Mon-Fri 9-6, Sat 9-4, Sun ‘til Fathers’ Day 1-4 Come visit our wonderful nursery! We have shade and ornamental trees, evergreens, shrubs of all types, lots of dwarf conifers, and perennials. Bring your pictures and plans and we’ll help you choose the best plants! Check our sales calendar for specials and browse our catalog on the website. Take a roadtrip here soon!

To advertise in Destinations, email Publisher@MichiganGardener.com or call Eric at 248-594-5563

www.MichiganGardener.com • The area’s most comprehensive calendar of garden event listings • Sign up for our FREE E-Newsletter • Read both current and back issues online • Submit your garden event listings • Subscribe to Michigan Gardener • Find your county MSU Extension contact info in “Garden Help” • Submit a classified ad to promote your product or service • Learn where you can pick up Michigan Gardener • And much more!

The print edition of Michigan Gardener is still your exclusive source for gardener profiles, how-to articles, features, Plant Focus and much more.

www.mbgna.umich.edu May 1-16: Daily 10-4:30; Wed 10-8 • May 17-Labor Day: Daily 10-8. Trails open sunrise to sunset. The University of Michigan Matthaei Botanical Gardens & Nichols Arboretum offer trails and natural areas, children’s garden, native plant gardens, bonsai garden, large collection of heirloom peonies, year-round conservatory, wedding venues, special events and sales, youth and adult educational programs, gift shop, and more.

Plymouth Nursery 9900 Ann Arbor Rd W, Plymouth MI 48170

734-453-5500 www.plymouthnursery.net May/June hours: Mon-Fri 8-8, Sat 8-6, Sun 9-5 For over 50 years we have offered premium quality plants on our 16 acres. Huge selection of trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals. Plus Weber grills, patio furniture, garden art and gifts. Our “Pottery Emporium,” one of S.E. Michigan’s largest, displays premium pots. We have everything you need to grow your garden!

The Produce Station 1629 S. State St. Ann Arbor, MI 48104 www.producestation.com Hours: Mon-Sat 8-9, Sun 8-8 Proudly supplying high-quality, rare perennials and specialty annuals! Succulents, echeveria, agave, rare tropicals, sedum, and sempervivum. Unique dwarf conifers and alpine plants. Enormous selection of specialty herbs and vegetables, plus heirlooms! Vast hosta selection, including tea cup varieties. Gorgeous Vietnamese pottery! Additional location: 2105 W. Stadium Blvd. May-August: Mon-Sat 9-8, Sun 9-7.

Turner’s Landscape & Garden Center

HYDRANGEAS GALORE—COME PICK OUT A FEW BEAUTIES FOR YOUR GARDEN! MICHAEL CARR POTTERY • SPECTACULAR HANDMADE, EUROPEAN GAZING GLOBES HUGE, EXPANDED SELECTION: MINIATURE & FAIRY GARDENING PLANTS & SUPPLIES PLANTS – 1200+ varieties of perennials & hostas! Specialty annuals • Proven Winners • Herbs Hanging baskets • Flower & vegetable flats Container gardens • Patio pots & baskets • Bulk seed Trees and shrubs • Onion sets & seed potatoes

4431 S. Wagner Rd., Ann Arbor MI 48103

734-663-7600 www.turnersannarbor.com May/June hours: Mon-Fri 9-7, Sat 9-6, Sun 10-4 Ann Arbor’s premier garden center and nursery. We grow an unbelievable selection of annuals and perennials in our greenhouses. Plus a fully-stocked nursery with mature trees and shrubs. Landscape design, construction and installation also available. Our quality plants and knowledgeable, friendly, helpful staff will make your garden a success.

Willow Greenhouses 7839 Curtis Rd., Northville, MI 48168

248-437-7219 www.willowgreenhouse.com May/June hours: Mon-Sat 9-6, Sun 10-5 All plants are grown pesticide-free! Buy direct from the grower. Thousands of Annuals, Perennials, Proven Winners, Wave Petunias, Vegetables, Heirloom Tomatoes, Herbs, Trees, Shrubs and much more. Many hard-tofind varieties! Our competitive pricing keeps our customers coming back year after year! Like us on Facebook!

GARDEN ORNAMENTS – Statuary • Fountains Wind chimes • Memorial stones • Mobiles Bird baths • Bird feeders • Plant stands • Garden flags Ceramic & plastic planters • Kinetic yard art

WE ARE WORTH THE DRIVE, AND WE’RE SURE TO PLEASE! Piechnik’s Garden Gate

Piechnik’s Greenhouse

1095 N. Rochester Rd, Oakland, MI 48363

13172 McCumsey Rd, Clio, Mi 48420

586-336-7200

810-686-9211

OaklandGreenhouse.com

ClioGreenhouse.com

ER RS SS V O YEA INE S 87 BU IN

734-663-7848

www.salineflowerland.com Hours: Mon-Fri 8-7, Sat 8-6, Sun 10-5 Saline’s Full Service Greenhouses, “Blooming Strong since 1977.” Our beautiful plants are grown on site for best quality and bloom count. Hundreds of hanging baskets, vegetables, annuals, perennials, herbs, tropical patio planters & ground covers. When size is important...we have many 4-inch potted varieties. Multiple mulch types and colors, and topsoil delivery too.

SE F M RE IN E A RS

734-647-9679

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C FO KS R NR SC O H OT ED S. U CO LE M

Matthaei: 1800 North Dixboro Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48105 Arboretum: 1610 Washington Hts., Ann Arbor, MI 48109

Saline Flowerland 7370 Michigan Ave., Saline, MI 48176

Matthaei Botanical Gardens & Nichols Arboretum

Family Owned & Operated

4th Generation Knowledge Accumulated Since 1928

BUY 8 YARDS OR MORE OF MULCH, GET ONE

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Of equal or lesser value. Excludes rubber, bagged & sale mulch. Expires 6-15-15. In-stock retail items only w/ coupon. Cannot be combined with other offers or used on sale items or prior sales. Delivery extra. Must be purchased at one time. Subject to change. Restrictions may apply.

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Let’s keep it that way. Shop with our advertisers and please tell them you saw their ad in Michigan Gardener.

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5% OFF PURCHASE OVER $25 6% OFF PURCHASE OVER $100 7% OFF PURCHASE OVER $300 Expires 6-15-15. In-stock retail items only w/ coupon. Cannot be combined with other offers or used on sale items or prior sales. Delivery extra. Must be purchased at one time. Subject to change. Restrictions may apply.

Michigan Gardener | May 2015 | MichiganGardener.com

Julia Hofley

Petunia Supertunia ‘Black Cherry’ From the beginning of the season until the end, Supertunia ‘Black Cherry’ graced our doorstep, creating lushly full containers that bloomed without a break. This charmer is aptly named—the cherry shade of the outer petals combines with a black throat. It contrasted nicely against brick pavers without blending in and disappearing. Like other Supertunia petunias, it is naturally heat and humidity tolerant, but its habit is more upright. It would be terrific paired with dark purple-leafed coleus, sweet potato vine or small grasses. Height: 8-12 inches. Width: 18-24 inches. Light: Full sun.

Hort Couture

Glitterati ‘Ice Queen’

Geranium Glitterati ‘Ice Queen’ and ‘Gold Digger’

Proven Winners

The Glitterati series of annual geraniums (Pelargonium) brings something new to the patio container with a hybrid (interspecific) geranium that combines the best traits of an ivy geranium with the flashy foliage of zonal geraniums ‘Mrs. Pollock’ and ‘Vancouver Centennial.’ Glitterati ‘Ice Queen’ has profuse, semidouble scarlet flowers that rise high above eye-catching variegated white and green foliage with striking contrast. Soft stems are densely branched and gently cascade, filling out the container nicely with a uniform habit. This vigorous plant displays exceptional heat and sun tolerance. Height: 16 inches. Width: up to 28 inches. Light: Full sun.

Rex Begonia Jurassic ‘Watermelon’ It is hard to pick out just one plant from the Jurassic series of Rex begonias. Some have big leaves and all of them have bold colors, patterns and textures that evoke images of largeleaved mysterious plants along paths trampled by dinosaurs. Jurassic ‘Watermelon’ has rosy-red leaves framed with frilly brown outer edges and a wide green inner margin speckled with silver, all surrounding a brown center. What a dramatic plant for containers in the shade. Plants prefer rich, moist, but well-drained soil. Height: 10-16 inches. Width: 6-10 inches. Light: Shade to deep shade.

Hort Couture

Glitterati ‘Gold Digger’

Ball Horticultural Co.

Glitterati ‘Gold Digger’ is definitely not your mother’s geranium. It can’t help but draw attention, with a patchwork of color on the leaves, including creamy-toned chartreuse green edges, set off with darker green centers and a splash of salmon-red here and there. All topped with reddish-orange flowers. It’s a lot going on, especially for a geranium, but sometimes you need a little bling. Height: 10-15 inches. Width: 10-15 inches. Light: Full sun.

Hort Couture

Glitterati ‘Ice Queen’ NEW ANNUALS continued on page 20

Annuals Geraniums Hanging Baskets Flower Pouches Perennials Collector’s Hostas David Austin English Roses, Hybrid Teas, Floribundas, and Shrub Roses ❖ Clematis, Vines ❖ Alpine Plants ❖ Groundcovers ❖ Butterfly Plants; Certified Monarch Waystation ❖ Native Plants ❖ Home of The Weekender Self-Watering Pot From the rare and unusual to the preferred and popular ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖

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Tour gardens throughout Livingston County

• Join the scavenger hunt • Enter the blooming raffle • Get original botanical art t-shirts • Stroll the weekend away TICKETS: $15 in advance $20 at garden entrances

FA M I LY O W N E D & O P E R AT E D S I N C E 19 57

34075 Ryan Rd (between 14 & 15 Mile) Sterling Heights 586-979-2409 Mon-Sat 8:30-8 Sun 8:30-6 www.eckertsgreenhouse.com

All proceeds benefit abused children and victims of interpersonal violence

Learn more at lacasacenter.org

enrich your

flickr / radiomars

Locally owned. Locally grown. We’re looking better than ever! More space, more selection. And an expanded medley of herbs, edibles, roses, peonies, heirlooms, and fairy garden whimsies. As always, we’re filled to the brim with our own homegrown annuals, vegetables, and perennials— the popular, the preferred, and our exclusive 99¢ seed selection. Plus hundreds of impressive flowering baskets and planters, all designed, planted, and pampered right on site. And expect our seasoned staff to find the right fruits and flowering shrubs for your environs!

garden

artfully composed containers statues, urns, and garden iron herbs & scented geraniums outdoor garden weddings exquisite hanging baskets faerie headquarters

(miniature plants and accessories)

workshops topiaries

6925 Whitmore Lake Rd. Whitmore Lake, MI Corner of N. Territorial & Whitmore Lake Rd.

Providing dedication and quality since 1978

734-741-1064

HERB FARM

eavenly cent

(810) 629-9208 www.heavenlyscentherbfarm.com 13730 White Lake Road, Fenton

Michigan Gardener | May 2015 | MichiganGardener.com

continued from page 18

Tender foxglove (Digitalis x hybrida) Last year, we reported on an exciting new introduction to the garden world called Digiplexis ‘Illumination Flame.’ We grew them in urns with 6 hours of southeast sun and surrounded them with a collar of assorted petunias. These urns were right outside my office window so I could watch them all season. I noted that while they did not bloom non-stop, they were in bloom most of the summer and

re-bloomed well into the fall. With time, the flower stems curved down and back up, looking rather unruly, but I didn’t want to cut off the flowers at the stem tips because they constantly attracted a parade of hummingbirds, butterflies, and bumblebees. The flower color was stunning and the open-faced tubular flowers looked like tiny, striped awnings for all of my winged garden guests. I loved the experi-

ence of growing this plant in an elevated, upclose position—I got to see the show! In 2015, there are several new plants available in an array of colors. This plant has been reclassified and the whole group is now known botanically as Digitalis x hybrida, but each have their own series name. Digiplexis is not the botanical name of a genus, it is a trademark for a particular group of these digitalis cultivars.

Julia Hofley

Digiplexis Illumination ‘Flame’

FOXLIGHT SERIES

DIGIPLEXIS SERIES

Plants form a low mound of healthy green foliage, bearing tall spikes of large outfacing flowers that bloom all summer long. The terrific, long-lasting cut flowers are loved by hummingbirds. ‘Ruby Glow’: Sultry ruby flowers with contrasting smoky-orange throat. ‘Plum Gold’: Bright pink flower spikes that feature a darker plum and gold speckled throat. ‘Rose Ivory’: Soft rose reverse with a contrasting speckled ivory throat. Height: 22-24 inches. Width: 18-20 inches. Light: Full sun to part shade.

‘Berry Canary’: Hot pink flowers with burgundy speckled throats. Height: 24 inches. Width: 20 inches. Light: Full sun to part shade. Illumination ‘Raspberry’: Raspberry pink flowers with the softest speckled peach throat. Height: 30-36 inches. Width: 24-36 inches. Light: Full sun to part shade.

Ball Horticultural Co.

Foxlight ‘Plum Gold’

Cultivaris

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www.PerennialResource.com Ball Horticultural Co.

Foxlight ‘Ruby Glow’

‘Berry Canary’

NEW ANNUALS continued on page 22

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Michigan Gardener | May 2015 | MichiganGardener.com

continued from page 20

Scaevola Surdiva ‘Variegated Blue’

Proven Winners

Euphorbia Diamond Delight Commonly known as “baby’s breath euphorbias,” this little plant reminded me of a white snowball of flowers last summer. It’s different than euphorbia Diamond Frost—it was tight and had double flowers that covered the plant, whereas Diamond Frost has looser flowers and is a beefy trailer for large containers. Diamond Delight is more for a jewel box container or would even work well to line an important path with its small, mounding whiteness. It is a vigorous grower and tolerates heat, humidity and drought. Combinations with Diamond Delight and other contrasting-colored annuals will be as unlimited as your imagination allows. Go for it! Height: 10-12 inches. Width: 8-12 inches. Light: Full sun to part sun.

All-America Selections

Impatiens Bounce ‘Pink Flame’ Stunning, bright pink, bicolored blooms that will survive a missed watering or two and “bounce” back. Bounce impatiens look like traditional impatiens (I. walleriana) in habit, flower form, and count, but are completely downy mildew resistant, giving us that healthy swath of color we gardeners love, all summer long. Height: 14-20 inches. Width: 14-20 inches. Light: Part sun.

Julia Hofley

Native to Australia and Polynesia, scaevolas are one of the most heat- and droughttolerant plants, making them ideal for gardeners who struggle to keep a hanging basket alive all summer long. The Surdiva series has a mounded, semi-trailing habit, making them more naturally compact than older varieties. From spring to fall they are reliably covered with 1-1/2-inch flower fans. Their selfcleaning habit, drought tolerance, and neat appearance without pinching back makes them extremely low maintenance. Surdiva ‘Variegated Blue’ brings even more to the table with eye-catching green and yellow variegated foliage. In my book, that’s one more notch up the ladder in the wonderful world of scaevolas. Height: 6-10 inches. Width: 18-24 inches. Light: Full sun.

Bacopa Scopia ‘Double Indigo’ The Scopia series of bacopa blooms earlier than previous varieties and this one has large, double blue flowers that look like petite blue roses. Compact in habit, it won’t get stringy later in the season, yet it is semi-trailing, which will work well in medium containers, window boxes, or hanging baskets. A vigorous grower, ‘Double Indigo’ will fill in fast. It offers a lovely, low-growing carpet that will spill over the edge of a container and complement an assortment of thriller plants. Keep this one up close, as the detail of the unusual flowers will not be appreciated from a distance. Height: 6-10 inches. Width: 8-10 inches. Light: Full sun to part sun.

Ball Horticultural Co.

EnduraScape ‘Hot Pink’

Verbena EnduraScape A “landscape quality” plant is the go-to choice for professional landscapers. It is floriferous, weatherproof, healthy and vigorous enough that its high flower count doesn’t cycle out of color. Plus, it can be appreciated from a distance in containers or boldly outlining garden beds without getting lost or needing hand-holding all season. That’s a tall order for any plant, but the verbena EnduraScape series is a workhorse in the annual world that lives up to its name. It has a super-vigorous spreading/trailing habit of lush, bright green, mildew-resistant foliage

with superior branching that holds up large nosegays of flowers appreciated by butterflies and hummingbirds. They can perform in 100-degree heat as well as light frosts in the spring or fall, thus extending both ends of the season. This plant takes whatever Michigan dishes out weather-wise, while delivering long-term on the flower power. The new purple colors are being compared to verbena ‘Homestead Purple’—just as tough, but better as they are consistently in bloom. Available in Hot Pink, Lavender, Red, Blue, Dark Purple, White Blush, and Purple. Height: 8-12 inches. Width: 18-24 inches. Light: Full sun.

Danziger Flower Farm

NEW ANNUALS continued on page 24

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Michigan Gardener | May 2015 | MichiganGardener.com

Angelonia Archangel ‘Dark Rose’

continued from page 22

A head-turning color in the Archangel series, this new color stood out based on the sheer volume of in-your-face flower power. This angelonia (also called summer snapdragon) was a favorite in the university trial gardens, winning “Best in Show” with perfect scores last summer at Michigan State University (by the way, a trial garden worthy of a visit by any Michigan gardener!). Archangel ‘Dark Rose’ is a beefy, upright and wellbranched plant with blooms that are much larger than other varieties. It thrives in extreme heat, humidity and drought, and also comes in a dark purple color. Bees and butterflies will appreciate the addition of angelonia to your garden. Height: 12-14 inches. Width: 10-12 inches. Light: Full sun.

Lamb’s Ear Mighty Velvet “Showstopper” is the best word to describe the moment I saw this award-winning plant (Stachys) last summer at the plant trade shows. Goos Bartels of the Nertherlands is the breeder of this plant and I happened upon him in the trade show booth. We agreed that Mighty Velvet will satisfy the gardener’s need for a plant that is both soft and tough. It was so radically different than any other plant, even those in the lamb’s ear family. I could see it with my gardener’s eye in so many different places in the garden and on the patio. The irresistibly soft, bright white-silver strappy foliage will stand out in a garden of green or against a dark wall, or be the bright star in a container. This easy-care, fast-growing plant is adaptable in many ways. It is a perennial that is only hardy to zone 7, so it will be treated like an annual in Michigan. It is heat and drought tolerant, and holds up in rain, wind and fluctuating temperatures. If that’s not enough, it does well in sun to part shade and is deer resistant. Truly, a plant that will be happy in Michigan! Height: 18-24 inches. Width: 18-24 inches. Light: Full sun to part shade.

Julia Hofley

Proven Winners

Petunia Supertunia ‘Morning Glory Charm’

Hort Couture

Salvia Mannequin ‘Blue Mountain’ This is the first in a new series of this salvia (Salvia farinacea) that is a tetraploid, which means it has four times more chromosomes than other salvias of this type. What does this mean for your garden? Go big or go home! This plant delivers large clusters of extra-long flower spikes with purple blue blossoms and white throats, presented well above the healthy foliage. These flowers are more dense than usual on a plant that is extra big, bold and beefy. This could be the dramatic thriller you’ve been looking for, as it can be seen from a long way off. It will attract butterflies and curious neighbors, who will ask you what kind of fertilizer you are using. Height: 18-24 inches. Width: 15-18 inches. Light: Full sun.

This petunia is covered with diminutive calibrachoa-sized flowers held above a densely branched, mounded silhouette. Countless purple flowers have a striking white throat and reverse side that would be lovely in baskets, window boxes or containers seen from all around. The trial gardens across the country gave it high scores in containers, and also as a good landscape plant used at the front of the border or along a garden path. Added value is that it tolerates heat, doesn’t require deadheading, and makes the butterflies happy. Height: 8-15 inches. Width: 24-36 inches. Light: Full sun.

Ball Horticultural Co.

NEW ANNUALS continued on page 26

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Van Atta’s has one of the largest selections of garden accents, trees, garden toys, annuals, shrubs and perennials in Southeastern Michigan. We grow an enormous variety of perennial species and cultivars. There’s a good chance we have that one plant you’ve been searching for or the garden ornament that will set your yard apart. Come on out and stroll our grounds. You’ll be amazed any one item at what you’ll find, as well as the friendly Offer valid through May 31, 2015 service and expert advice you will receive.

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Michigan Gardener | May 2015 | MichiganGardener.com

continued from page 24

Proven Winners

Ruffles ‘Peach’ and Ruffles ‘Lavender’

New Guinea Impatiens Ruffles A makeover plant if there ever was one, this new version of New Guinea impatiens takes the traditional vase shape of this plant that can be somewhat stiff in the garden and softens all the edges in the right places. This pretty plant delivers large ruffled flowers and is in continuous bloom that requires no deadheading. It has strong downy mildew resistance and gives shade gardeners the opportunity for a splash of wavy color. Available in ‘Fuchsia Rose,’ ‘Peach,’ or ‘Lavender.’ Blooms June through September. Height: 10-14 inches. Width: 8-12 inches. Light: Full or part shade.

Petunia Happy Magic ‘Giant Dijon’ With a name like that, this petunia carries big expectations from a gardener. Good thing the entire Happy Magic series comes in a stunning range of unusual, bicolored flowers. But ‘Giant Dijon’ takes the cake! This award-win-

ning petunia has large Dijon yellow flowers, edged softly with ruffles and splotched with splashes of terra cotta orange like a painter has shaken out his wet paintbrushes. Perfect to fill window boxes in a prominent spot where you

Cohen Propagation Nurseries

need flowers that are semi-trailing and extraordinary. Height: 8-16 inches. Width: 8-16 inches. Light: Full sun to part sun.

Fountain grass ‘Black Stockings’ This modern, upright fountain grass (Pennisetum) made a lasting impression on me, as I admired the bold purple blades and canes with a bluish-green hue. That got me thinking about all the different options a gardener would have when planting it. Pair it with a new digitalis hybrid for a sultry appeal. I could see it rising up from a cushy cloud underplanting of the new euphorbia ‘Diamond Delight,’ making a sophisticated statement in a chichi black and white garden. It scored high in trial gardens; one comment said, “The purple-green blades swayed in the breeze, adding sound and kinetic energy to the landscape.” Think of the possibilities. Height: 60-72 inches. Width: 36 inches. Light: Full sun.

Terra Nova Nurseries

Coleus Hipsters ‘Zooey’ Coleus breeder Chris Baker of Columbus, Ohio, known in some circles as “Mr. Coleus,” refers to his favorite plant as “…the Hawaiian shirt of the plant world.” When you step back and look at the coleus selection in a local greenhouse, you will realize it’s true! Every single one has amazing color, shape, and size. The new Hipsters series gives you texture to boot. ‘Zooey’ has narrow leaves with spiky, yellow-green margins and a contrasting magenta center. The dense, low-spreading, and multi-branching habit will create a feathery flash of warm light along a sophisticated container’s edge. Height: 9 inches. Width: 23 inches. Light: Part shade to full shade.

Green Leaf Plants

Julia Hofley is a plant collector, freelance garden writer, lecturer, and independent sales rep who loves to go on road trips with her gardening girlfriends. (E-mail: julia@juliasbiglife.com).

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Kurtzhals’ Farms 27098 Sibley Rd., Romulus, MI 48174

734-941-2081 Find us on Facebook May/June hours: 7 days 9-6, maybe later, please call Huge Selection! Most annual flats only $7.99. Unique combination baskets and planters with combos you won’t see elsewhere. Treated impatiens available. Proven Winners Certified Garden Center. Healthy vegetable plants, herbs and perennials. Delicious homegrown freshpicked fruits and vegetables July to November. 1/4 mile east of Inkster Rd.

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Pinter Flowerland 6830 Rawsonville Rd., Belleville, MI 48111

734-482-2776 www.pinterflowerland.com May/June hours: Open 7 days a week; please call for hours Buy direct from the grower—that means great quality and low prices. Family owned and operated since 1926. Annuals, hanging baskets, containers, perennials, garden supplies, soils, mulches, and much more. 13 acres of covered shopping—stay dry when it’s raining! Come see us at our Redford location also (313-538-7580).

Ray Hunter Florist & Garden Center 16153 Eureka Rd., Southgate, MI 48195

734-284-2500 www.rayhuntergardenshop.com May/June hours: Mon-Sat 9-7, Sun 10-5 Proven Winners select hanging baskets & planters, annuals, perennials, great selection of Weeks roses, flowering shrubs, garden statuary & accents. Tomatoes are one of our specialties. We grow heirlooms, grafted tomatoes, old favorites, and the latest hybrids—over 100 varieties! Come pick out a plant or two for your garden.

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Ruhlig Farms & Gardens 24508 Telegraph Rd., Brownstown Twp, MI 48134

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www.gorhamandsonsnursery.com May/June hours: Mon-Sat 9-6, Sun 9-5 Trees, shrubs, evergreens & ornamental plants. Specializing in topiaries, Japanese maples & landscape design. Also fruit trees and blueberry, raspberry & blackberry bushes. We are proud of our personal service—bring us your questions & photos of your yard and we will offer advice. Just Southeast of the Sibley Road & I-275 intersection.

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734-782-9811 www.ruhligfarmsandgardens.com Spring hours: Mon-Sat 9-8, Sun 10-6 A Gardener’s Dream come true. Enhance your garden’s beauty and uniqueness at our premier garden center. Explore 2 acres of beautiful nursery and greenhouses. Discover the enormous selection of annuals, perennials, patio containers, hanging baskets and potted plants. Friendly staff are always available to assist. Make us your destination for Spring, Summer, Fall & Christmas.

Schoedel’s Nursery 20900 Merriman Rd., Romulus, MI 48174

734-753-4150 www.schoedelsnursery.com May/June hours: Mon-Fri 9-6, Sat 9-5, Sun 10-4 A third-generation, family run business since 1949. Our 5-acre nursery has one of the largest selections in the area: ornamental and shade trees, specialty shrubs, broadleaf evergreens, and conifers. From the common to the unusual. There is something for everyone. 1 mile South of Sibley Rd.

Schwartz’s Greenhouse 30705 Sibley Rd., Romulus, MI 48174

734-753-9269 www.schwartzgreenhouse.com May hours: Mon-Sat 9-8, Sun 9-6. June: Call for hours Our specialty is spectacular hanging baskets! Discover flowers & plants at great prices! Bedding plants, roses, vegetable plants, herbs, perennials, container gardens, porch planters, and gardening supplies. Over 12 acres of greenhouses and 2 acres of shopping! 1/2 mile West of Middlebelt.

To advertise in Destinations, email Publisher@MichiganGardener.com or call Eric at 248-594-5563

Westcroft Gardens 21803 West River Rd., Grosse Ille, MI 48138

734-676-2444 www.westcroftgardens.com May/June hours: Mon-Fri 8-7, Sat 9-7, Sun 10-5 Visit Michigan’s oldest farm still owned & operated by the same family, established 1776. Specializing in our own hybrids of azaleas & rhododendrons that grow well in Michigan. Also trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals, herbs & vegetables. Our Greenleaf Compound will acidify & improve your soil. Stroll our botanical garden.

Zywicki Greenhouse 50705 Willow Rd., Belleville, MI 48111

734-461-6197 www.zywickigreenhouse.com May/June hours: Open 7 days a week, 9-7 Zywicki’s has served lower Michigan for over 50 years with quality annuals, perennials, hanging baskets, planters, window boxes, vegetable plants and roses. 200 varieties of vegetable and herb plants. Over 400 varieties of annuals, perennials, and hanging baskets. When it’s quality you need, it’s Zywicki’s indeed!

Michigan Gardener | May 2015 | MichiganGardener.com

Herb of the Year: Savory

e are celebrating the herb of the year, savory, because it is one of our favorite culinary herbs. Its many uses and wonderful flavor make it a great all-around herb. For some reason, it seems to be underused here in the United States. Growing either the perennial winter savory or the annual summer savory can be quite rewarding to the herb gardener, vegetable grower, or rock gardener. Both plants are easy to grow.

Winter savory

plants in the spring to dry, but always leave at least 1/3 of the plant to re-grow in the summer so it has enough strength to last through a Michigan winter and come back strong. You can harvest sprigs one at a time throughout the year for cooking, as it remains good for harvest even in cold weather and under the snow.

Jean & Roxanne Riggs

a rubber band. Then hang to dry in a dark area. Be sure to label the bunches that you harvest or you can confuse it with other dried herbs! If you want fresh summer savory in the winter, you can plant seeds in a pot in November and place them under grow lights.

Uses

P H OTO G R A P H S BY J E A N A N D R OX A N N E R I G G S

other herb stems such as lavender, rosemary and mint. Bundle them up with twine or raffia. Place into a low fire to make the entire house smell fantastic in the winter. A wonderful gift idea!

Recipes Some of our favorite, easy recipes with savory: Potato and green beans. Wash several new potatoes (your choice of variety). Wash and prepare an equal amount of young, fresh green beans. Put in a pan with enough water to cover, cook until tender then drain. Add butter and one tablespoon each of chopped savory leaves and chopped rosemary leaves with salt and pepper to taste. Savory butter. 1/4 lb. butter, 1 T. lemon juice, 1/2 t. marjoram or oregano, 1/2 t. summer savory, 1/2 t. lemon thyme, 1/4 t. garlic powder. Use this butter on cooked vegetables, grilled meats, and in sauces. Especially nice for the barbeque. Poultry seasoning. 1 cup dried celery or lovage leaves, 1 cup dried parsley, 1 cup dried sage, 1/2 cup dried tarragon, 1/2 cup dried summer savory, 1/2 cup dried thyme, 1/2 cup dried sweet marjoram. Store in a glass container with a tight lid. Use this delicious seasoning on baked poultry, stuffing, and chicken dishes.

This perennial, small shrub (Satureja montana) measures up to 20 inches high and 12 inches wide at full size. Winter savory fits perfectly into the front of a border or rock garden. The leaves on this handsome green plant are smooth, shiny, narrow, and pointed. The leaves and white/pinkish blossoms are very aromatic and edible. The plant needs well-drained soil and sun to grow well. It can be propagated by seed, cuttings or root divisions. From the Mediterranean region, winter savory has culinary uses along with medicinal ones, such as an expectorant, general tonic, and gargle. This herb is especially great for gas pains. We add savory to all of our bean dishes as it acts as a combatant against indigestion. Savoryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s peppery taste lends itself to fish, poultry, meats and vegetables, and it blends well with other herbs. Its flavor is more pungent than summer savory. You can take trimmings off winter savory

This annual herb (Satureja hortensis) lasts about six months in Michigan. It is grown from seed or small seedlings and grows rapidly during the summer months. You can grow summer savory in just about any welldrained soil as long as it is in the sun most of the day. It grows upright about 18 inches tall, and is quite spindly. Summer savory produces much more to harvest than winter savory so it is sometimes grown in rows in the garden. The white/pinkish flowers appear in August and the entire top of the plant is edible. You can pinch the plants back during the summer to encourage it to bush out and produce more stems and to keep it from flowering and setting seed. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even bother trying to take a summer savory plant in for the winter as it will rapidly die off at the end of its short life. Instead, harvest the entire plant before the first frost, and tie the bunches with

Throughout history, summer savory has been used to flavor sausages, meats and mustards, as well as many other uses. Here are a few: Bouquet garni. Savory is commonly used in an ancient recipe of bouquet garni herbs. Equal parts of fresh or dried herbs including summer savory, rosemary, oregano, and thyme. These herbs are bound together with twine or placed in a muslin bag or are minced to add flavor to soups, stews, roasts and stocks at the beginning of cooking. Savory tea. To improve digestion and help with gas pains: Boil water and add fresh sprigs or place dried savory in a teaspoon or strainer into the hot water. Let sit for 5 minutes. Bug bites. You can rub fresh savory on insect bites or bee stings and it soothes the pain quickly. Fireplace herbs. Strip off the leaves of the dried savory, place leaves in jars or baggies, and save the stems. Use the savory stems with

Winter savory is a small, perennial shrub that fits well into the front of a border or rock garden.

Summer savory growing in a container, ready for harvest.

Savory is commonly used in an ancient recipe of bouquet garni herbs.

Summer savory

MichiganGardener.com | May 2015 | Michigan Gardener

Tropical Treasures Complete line of pond supplies Integra EPDM Liners • Filters Energy Efficient Pumps • UV’s Medicines • Lighting • Food Wide variety of pond fish including: Japanese Koi, Chinese Goldfish Pond Critters: Tadpoles, Snails & Clams Pond Plants: Marginals, Lillies, Lotus & Oxygenators One of our favorite, easy recipes using savory: green beans, potatoes, butter and savory. Herb-seasoned flour. Keep this flour in a covered jar on the stove or counter. Handy for flouring chicken, meat or fish, thickening gravies and sauces, and good in stews. 6 cups allpurpose flour, 1-1/2 T. salt, 1/2 T. pepper, 1/4 cup dried thyme leaves, 1/4 cup dried marjoram, 1/4 cup dried savory, which adds a great depth of flavor.

Plants & Fish available when weather permits— please call or visit our website!

You can see why we are so fond of savory. Grow some in your garden or on your windowsill so you won’t be tempted to skip it in your recipes. Enjoy!

34190 S. Gratiot (14-1/2 Mile) Clinton Township

Jean and Roxanne Riggs operated Sunshine Farm and Garden in Oakland County, MI and now enjoy retirement up north.

Mon-Fri 11-8 Sat 9-8 Sun 9-5

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Customer Appreciation Day Join us Saturday, May 16th for a great day full of sales, music, hot dogs, and refreshments! A shop for home, garden, and soul.

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4077 Burnside Rd. (Halfway btwn M-53 & M-24 in North Branch) May Hours: Open 7 days 9a-7p

810-688-3587

Michigan Gardener | May 2015 | MichiganGardener.com

Little gems: Native spring ephemerals

The Plants

Part 2 of 2 Many Michigan gardeners look to their daffodils, tulips and hyacinths as harbingers of winter’s end. These exotic garden favorites, and many others, can be classified as “spring ephemerals”—plants that emerge early in the growing season to flower, photosynthesize and then go dormant (in most instances) until they perform the same feat the following year. What many gardeners do not know is that we have our own, native spring ephemerals. In many cases, they are diminutive little gems that brighten up native woodlands before going to sleep for the rest of the season.

The delicate, grassy foliage of spring beauty (Claytonia virginica)—one of the most aptlynamed of our native species—makes it a wonderful complement to short native sedges, including Pennsylvania sedge (Carex pensylvanica). The delicately pink-striped, white flowers—with their chartreuse throats and pink anthers—are a delightful addition to any woodland garden and can, over time, develop into a lovely carpet of early-season jewels.

Cheryl M. English

If you have planted or transplanted woodland wildflowers and they seem to have disappeared, be patient—many have the habit of going dormant for a season (or so) when disturbed, so just give them time P H OTO G R A P H S BY to settle in. And be sure to purchase your plants from a D O N S C H U LT E reputable grower—woodland wildflowers are among the most poached species in our native flora. Many are protected, so unless doing so on your own property, do not touch them unless you have been given permission by the property owner; never disturb them on public lands. Editor’s note: Part 1 of “Little gems: Native spring ephemerals” appeared in the April 2015 issue of Michigan Gardener.

Cheryl M. English owns Black Cat Pottery and gardens professionally in Detroit, MI. An Advanced Master Gardener and Master Composter, she speaks on numerous gardening topics and is a Wildflower Association of Michigan board member. Her typical urban lot has over 50 varieties of Clematis and almost 200 species of native plants. She runs a Clematis Pruning Workshop in April. She opens her garden to the public twice a year at her Annual Spring/Summer Garden Tours. 2015 dates: May 30 & August 15. The tours are free; no pre-registration is required. Contact Cheryl to speak at your next meeting or event: cenglish@blackcatpottery.com. Follow Cheryl’s blog at BlackCatPottery.com and follow along at Facebook.com/BlackCatPottery. Don Schulte is an avid gardener and enjoys interpreting Michigan wildflowers and other garden favorites through his photography. Don and Cheryl have been working together to document the clematis, other traditional garden favorites, and native plants in her garden. See more of his work at NotableGreetings.com and DonSchulte.com.

Many years ago—when I was less knowledgeable about native plants—I stumbled upon the pink form of shooting star (Dodecatheon meadia). Not realizing the gem I had planted, it eventually succumbed, like so many other gardening experiments. It wasn’t until a few years ago that I realized what I had lost. I have been able to find the white form of this plant, but finding a reliably performing pink form has been an ongoing challenge. I have found a few plants, but they don’t seem to be as hardy as the white-flowering form, contrary to conventional wisdom. Regardless, the plant is a graceful addition to any woodland garden.

MichiganGardener.com | May 2015 | Michigan Gardener

Two hepatica species are native to Michigan: H. acutiloba (sharp-lobed hepatica) and H. americana (round-lobed hepatica), distinguished by their pointed or rounded leaves. The genus name is derived from the resemblance of the three-lobed leaves to the three lobes of the liver; according to the Doctrine of Signatures, in which a plant was used medically based on its resemblance to the affected organ, hepatica was used in the treatment of liver disease. Sharp-lobed hepatica ranges in color from pale to dark violet-blue or white, while round-lobed hepatica is typically dark violet-blue.

Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) is a true harbinger of spring, with the flower rising up through the curled leaf, emerging, blooming, and then withering. Each flower lasts only a day or so; their beauty as fleeting as it is fragile. The deeply lobed, roughly heart-shaped leaf continues to expand and unfold before going completely dormant. The species has single flowers, but a naturally occurring double variation exists that resembles a tiny water lily; the leaves of these plants persist longer, possibly because the flowers are sterile. Why â&#x20AC;&#x153;bloodrootâ&#x20AC;?? The plantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sap is a true red and was used in a number of functions by indigenous populations.

If you were to ask the average person to name a wildflower, more likely than not they would mention the great white trillium of our woodlands (Trillium grandiflorum, left). There are numerous other native trillium species, including wake robin (T. erectum, center) and yellow trillium or yellow toadshade (T. luteum, right); all are characterized by three-part leaves and petals. Although the price

of acquiring a mature plant from a reputable grower may cause the typical gardener to balk, it is justified by the 3- to 7-year investment a grower must make from seed to flower for these plants. Plucking the flowers or otherwise disturbing the plants can set them back significantly.

25 Years – Our Silver Jubilee!

Ann Arbor Garden Walk

Saturday, June 13 AND Sunday, June 14, 2015 10 am to 4 pm each day Two days of the ‘best of the best’ gardens from our first 24 years – Seven different gardens each day! Plants & Art Marketplace! Proceeds benefit local non-profits

TICKETS ON SALE MAY 1ST Two-day tickets: $25 May 1-June 1; $30 after June 1 and at the gate Single-day and student K-12 tickets available only at the gate Group sales $20 each (minimum 10) available until June 1

www.AnnArborFarmAndGarden.org

Michigan Gardener | May 2015 | MichiganGardener.com

calendar May / June / July / August

May H Herb Study Group Mon, May 4, 7pm, Ann Arbor. At Matthaei Botanical Gardens. FREE. Vanilla, the history & uses. 734-647-7600. Design Your Own Container Garden Tue, May 5, & Wed, May 6, 6-7pm, Rochester & Clarkston. At Bordine’s. $20, plus materials. Come design an annual masterpiece with us. Register: www.Bordines.com. Springfield Garden Club Fashion Show Wed, May 6, 11:30am, Lake Orion. By Springfield Garden Club at Olde World Canterbury Village. $28. Proceeds to WNF&GA 4-H. Reserve tickets by 4/24: 248-634-1680, djmcd1@aol.com. Make Your Own Magical Fairy Garden Thu, May 7, 6-7pm, Rochester & Clarkston. At Bordine’s. $10, plus materials. Create a magical oasis for fairies to enjoy. www.Bordines.com. National Public Gardens Day at the “C” Fri, May 8, Noon-4pm, Taylor. At Taylor Conservatory. FREE. We’ll have cake, give away seeds, show kids how to plant & a craft. www.TaylorConservatory.org. 50th Anniversary Ikebana Celebration Fri, May 8, 1-3pm, Bloomfield Hills. By Ikebana International Detroit Chapter at Birmingham Unitarian Church. FREE demo. Register: ikebanadetroit@gmail.com, 248-684-2460. H Hidden Lake Gardens Plant Sale Fri, May 8, & Sat, May 9, 10am-2pm, Tipton. At Hidden Lake Gardens. Free with admission. Wide selection of choice plants. www.hiddenlakegardens.msu.edu, 517-431-2060. 5th Annual Plant & Flower Sale Fri, May 8, 3-8pm & Sat, 9am-5pm, Lake Orion. By Habitat for Humanity of Oakland County at Culver’s. Annuals, perennials, vegetables, herbs, trees & more. 248-338-1843, ext.303. Chelsea Area Garden Club Plant Sale Sat, May 9, 8am-Noon, Chelsea. By Chelsea Area Garden Club at Chelsea Comm. Fairgrounds. Rain or shine. Proceeds support civic beautification, grants & scholarships. 734-475-9748. H Bonsai Class & Workshop Sat, May 9, 1pm, Pontiac. At Telly’s. $5. Register: 248-689-8735. Ikebana Ikenobo Workshops Sat, May 9, 9am-3:30pm, Bloomfield Hills. By Ikebana International Detroit Chapter at Birmingham Unitarian Church. $45/workshop. Register: ikebanadetroit@gmail.com, 248-684-2460. H Herbal Allergy Remedies Sat, May 9, 10am, Pontiac. At Telly’s $20. Register: 248-689-8735. Michigan All State Bonsai Show Sat, May 9, & Sun, May 10. Grand Rapids. At Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. Stunning displays, sale, workshops, demos & more. www.MeijerGardens.org.

FOR INFORMATION ABOUT PUBLIC GARDENS, please visit MichiganGardener.com. Click on "Resources" then "Public Gardens." H Mother’s Day Weekend Sale Sat, May 9, 10am-4:30pm, Ann Arbor. At Matthaei Botanical Gardens. Hanging baskets & containers with a variety of colors & textures. 734-647-7600. TCF Mother’s Day Plant Sale Sat, May 9, 9am-4pm & Sun, 10-2pm, Taylor. At Taylor Conservatory. Unusual varieties of perennials, native plants & vines. www.TaylorConservatory.org. Mother’s Day Wildflower Hike Sun, May 10, 1-2:30pm, Ann Arbor. At Leslie Science & Nature Ctr. $5/person, Moms FREE. Guided wildflower hike. Register: 734-997-1553. H Royal Oak in Bloom Sun, May 10, 7a-2p, Royal Oak. At Williams Street parking lot in front of City Hall. Open-air market with 70 vendors; from flowers to landscaping décor. http://www.ci.royal-oak.mi.us/events/royal-oak-bloom. Working with Vines & Climbers Mon, May 11, 7pm, Bloomfield Hills. By Hardy Plant Society at Congregational Church of Birmingham. $3. Kim Roth focuses on plant vines & climbers in your landscape. 248-693-0334. H 43rd Annual Spring Plant Sale Tue, May 12, 10am-7pm & Wed, 10am-2pm, Bloomfield Hills. At Cranbrook House & Gardens. Herbs, Annuals, Perennials, Vegetables, Wildflowers & more. 248-645-3149. Enviro-Weather Presentation Tue, May 12, 7-8:30pm, Clinton Charter Twp. By MSU Extension. Beth Bishop speaks on degree days & how to use the Enviro-weather website. Register: 586-469-6440. Growing Roses in your Garden Thu, May 14, 7pm, Ferndale. By Ferndale Garden Club at Kulick Community Ctr. Presented by Tom & Ellie Kressbach. Guests are welcome. 248-398-6283. 2015 Meadow Brook Garden Club Perennial Plant Sale Thu, May 14, 9am-2pm & Fri, 9am-3pm, Rochester. By Meadow Brook Garden Club at Oakland University East Campus. Large variety of MI grown plants & garden goods. 248-364-6210. H 7th Annual Containers & Cocktails Thu, May 14, 5-8pm, Pontiac. At Goldner Walsh. $5. Register: 248-689-8735. Spring Plant Sale Thu, May 14, & Fri, May 15, 9am-5pm & Sat, May 16, 9am3pm, Waterford. By Waterford Garden Club at Waterford Senior Center. Perennials, herbs & more. www.WaterfordGardenClub.org.

Promote your events! Send us your information! Website: Go to MichiganGardener.com and click on “Garden Event Calendar” E-Mail: calendar@michigangardener.com Upcoming Issues & Deadlines: Issue

Deadline

June 2015 July/August 2015

May 15, 2015 June 15, 2015

MichiganGardener.com | May 2015 | Michigan Gardener

NEED AN EXPERT? Design

Landscaping

Lawn Care Techniques & Approaches to Edible & Ecological Landscaping Fri, May 15, 10-11:30am, Rochester. By Meadow Brook Garden Club at Meadow Brook Hall. $5. Learn the basics of edible landscaping & ecological design. 248‑364‑6210. Henry Ford Estate Spring Plant Sale & Garden Market Fri, May 15, 10am-3pm & Sat, May 16, 9am-1pm, Dearborn. At Henry Ford Estate. Perennials, wildflowers, shade loving plants, herbs, hanging baskets, water plants & much more. 313-701-2240. H Pond Construction Sat, May 16, 1-3pm, Milford. At The Pond Place. FREE. Optional hands-on experience building an 11’ x 16’ pond with stream, waterfall & bog. Register: www.PondPlace.com. H Kitchen Favorites Herb Sale Sat, May 16, & Sun, May 17, Ann Arbor. At Matthaei Botanical Gardens. Herbs, containers & heirlooms. Herb study group on hand to answer questions. www.mbgna.umich.edu. H Wildflower Walk Sat, May 16, 10:30am-Noon, Tipton. At Hidden Lake Gardens. $5. Rain or shine. Hike lead by HLG staff. Register: hiddenlakegardens.msu.edu.

Annual Plant Sale Sat, May 16, Dexter. By Michigan Dahlia Association at Dexter Mill. Sale of Dahlia plants & tubers. 734-429-5796. H Nature A-Z Preschool Classes Sat, May 16, 10:30am, Tipton. At Hidden Lake Gardens. $8. Children ages 3-7 are invited to explore the natural world through songs & crafts. Register: 517-431-2060. Dexter Garden Club Plant Sale Sat, May 16, 9am-2pm, Dexter. By Dexter Garden Club at Monument Park gazebo. A part of Dexter Green Day. Perennials, woody ornamentals, vegetables, native plants & more. Master Gardeners on hand to answer ?’s. Learn about invasive plants from Hudson Mills Metropark. Gardening 101 with Master Gardeners Sat, May 16, 11am, Southgate. At Ray Hunter Florist & Garden. FREE. Paul Rodman & a panel of Master Gardeners will answer your questions. www.rayhunter.com. H Campbell’s Customer Appreciation Day Sat, May 16, 9am-6pm, North Branch. At Campbell’s. Sales, music, refreshment & more. www.CampbellsGreenhouses.com. 810-688-3587. H Raised Bed & Container Gardening Sun, May 17, 1-3pm, Detroit. At Detroit Farm & Garden. FREE. Learn creative ways to recycle materials & grow things on patios, porches & stoops. 313-655-2344.

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Spring Plant Sale

May 12, 10:00 am - 7:00 pm | May 13, 10:00 am - 2:00 pm s Wildflower Nat ive Pla nts

P A eren nia n n ls u al s

H Pond & Waterfall Design Sat, May 16, 10am-Noon, Milford. At The Pond Place. FREE. Workshop will address the key issues associated with designing & building your own pond. Register: www.PondPlace.com.

43rd Annual

e bl

St Joseph Church Perennial Plant Sale Sat, May 16, 10am-6pm, Dexter. At St Joseph Catholic Church. Large assortment of hardy perennials. Many items $1-5. Covered pavilion to shop in. flobeck@hotmail.com.

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H Dahlia Planting, Staking, Tying & Fertilizing Sat, May 16, 3-5pm, Troy. By SE Michigan Dahlia Society at Telly’s. Specifics of Dahlia Growing to produce beautiful flowers. 248-475-8945.

LOCATE A CERTIFIED PRO:

Herbs

Willow Greenhouse Expo Sat, May 16, 10am-4pm, South Lyon/Salem. By the Four Seasons Garden Club of South Lyon at Willow Greenhouse. FREE. Janet Macunovich & other speakers. Pruning, fairy gardens, beneficial insects, attracting birds, kids projects & more. www.WillowGreenhouse.com.

and More!

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H MSU Public Plant Sale Sat, May 16, 7am-2pm, East Lansing. By MSU Horticulture Gardens at 1066 Bogue St. Perennials, grasses, herbs, annuals, seedlings, shrubs & more. BYO Cart! www.hrt.msu.edu/plant-sale.

H Wine & Design: Build & Plant a Natural Vine Patio Pot Thu, May 21, 6:30-7:30pm, Haslett. At Van Atta’s. $35. Bring your own beer or wine & we’ll provide everything you’ll need to create a beautiful take-home project. Register: 517-339-1142. H Behind-The-Scenes at Hidden Lake Gardens: Bonsai Collection Thu, May 21, 6:30pm, Tipton. At Hidden Lake Gardens. $5. Bring your questions & learn a few tips from HLG’s Managing Director, Paul Pfeifer. Register: www.hiddenlakegardens.msu.edu. Spring Perennial Exchange Sat, May 23, 9-11am, Royal Oak. By Royal Oak Garden Club at Meininger Community Ctr. Bring your labeled plants in pots or baggies, no trees or woody shrubs, please. 248-398-4996. H Wildflower Walk Sat, May 23, 10:30am-Noon, Tipton. At Hidden Lake Gardens. $5. Rain or shine. Hike lead by HLG staff. Register: hiddenlakegardens.msu.edu. H Basics of Vegetable Gardens Sat, May 23, 11am, Southgate. At Ray Hunter Florist & Garden. FREE. Learn all you need to know to grow your own vegetables & herbs. 734-284-2500, www.rayhunter.com. H Spring Open House: Making More Plants Sat, May 23, 9am-5pm, Howell. At Specialty Growers. FREE. Karen Bovio shares tips & techniques for growing more of your own plants without specialized equipment. 517-546-7742. H Farm to Table in 60 Minutes Sat, May 23, 11am-Noon, Fenton. At Heavenly Scent Herb Farm. $14.75. Learn to utilize fresh herbs & veggies from the farm. www.HeavenlyScentHerbFarm.com, 810-629-9208. Annual Plant Sale in Charlevoix Sat, May 23, 8:30am-Noon, Charlevoix. By Charlevoix Area Garden Club at Ferry Beach Pavilion. 100’s of perennials, herbs, succulents & more. skswmd@yahoo.com, 989-280-1033. Dahlia Society Tuber Sale Sat, May 23, Through May 30, Midland. By Dahlia Hill Society of Midland at 2809 Orchard Dr. 100’s of varieties below retail cost. 5/23 & 5/30, 8am-4pm. 5/25-5/29, 9am-Noon. www.dahliahill.org. H The Master’s Garden: Gardening in Harmony with Nature Sat, May 30, 8:30am-4pm, Bloomfield Hills. At Manresa Jesuit Retreat House. Learn eco-friendly tips & tricks & earn MG credits. Marketplace, speakers & more. www.manresa-sj.org. H Family Class Series: Fairy Gardens Sat, May 30, 10:30am, Tipton. At Hidden Lake Gardens. $30/family. Use natural materials & fairy-sized plants to create inviting spaces for inside or outside. Register: hiddenlakegardens.msu.edu. H Peonies Galore Sale Sat, May 30, 10am, Ann Arbor. At Nichols Arboretum. Locally grown heirloom peonies for sale set amid the largest collection of heirloom peonies in North America. 734-647-7600. Mayfly: Leslie Science & Nature Center Fundraiser Sat, May 30, 5-8:30pm, Ann Arbor. At Leslie Science & Nature Ctr. $150/person, $250/couple. Enjoy upscale drinks & dinner set to live music. Up-close bird & critter interactions. 734-997-1553. H Which Hydrangea is Which? Sat, May 30, 11am, Southgate. At Ray Hunter Florist & Garden. FREE. Learn about the care & culture of beautiful hydrangeas. 734-284-2500, www.rayhunter.com. Iris Show Sat, May 30, & Sun, May 31, Grand Rapids. At Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. Grand Valley Iris Society members on hand to answer questions & give tips. www.MeijerGardens.org.

Plant Selection

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Membership in Bloom June 13, 2015 | 9:30 am - 11:30 am National Get Outdoors Day June 13, 2015 | 11:00 am - 3:00 pm Cranbrook Gardens Admission May - October, 2015 FREE courtesy of PNC Bank, Roberts Restaurant Group, and Meijer 380 Lone Pine Road, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48303 http://housegardens.cranbrook.edu

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continued from previous page 4th Annual Shiawasse County Master Gardener Plant Sale Sat, May 30, 10am-1pm, Owosso. By Shiawassee County Master Gardeners at 1541 N. Hickory. Great plants at great prices. timnjenhes@aol.com. H Wildflower Walk Sun, May 31, 1-2:30pm, Tipton. At Hidden Lake Gardens. $5. Rain or shine. Hike lead by HLG staff. Register: hiddenlakegardens.msu.edu.

25 pounds of grass seed, bale of

eam cheese.

Michigan Gardener | May 2015 | MichiganGardener.com

FlowerMarketDundee.com

June Welcoming the Summer Get-Together, Auction & Plant Exchange Mon, Jun 1, 7pm, Bloomfield Hills. By Hardy Plant Society at Congregational Church of Birmingham. Get to know your fellow gardeners, share secrets & bid/exchange great plants. 248-693-0334. H Brenda’s Butterfly Habitat Opening Thu, Jun 4, Westland. At Barson’s. Come see these winged beauties in all stages of their metamorphosis. www.butterfliesinthegarden.com. Kent/MSU Extension Grand Ideas Garden Plant Sale Fri, Jun 5, 9am-1pm, Grand Rapids. At Kent MSU Extension garden, 775 Ball Ave NE. 1,500+ plants & Master Gardeners on hand to answer ?’s. www.facebook.com/ GrandIdeasGarden. H Flowering Table Top Garden for Your Patio Workshop Sat, Jun 6, 11am, Southgate. At Ray Hunter Florist & Garden. $40. Make a charming dish garden for outdoors. 734-284-2500, www.rayhunter.com. Hypertufa Toadstools Sat, Jun 6, 10am-noon, Fenton. At Heavenly Scent Herb Farm. $62.75. Create 2 whimsical hypertufa toadstools. Dress for mess! www.HeavenlyScentHerbFarm.com, 810-629-9208. Design Matters: A Cultural Landscape Symposium Sat, Jun 6, Dearborn. At Henry Ford Estate. Explore the historic landscapes of Henry Ford Estate, Monticello, & the Edsel & Eleanor Ford House. www.fordhouse.org, 313-884-4222. Tollgate Plant Sale Sat, Jun 6, 9am-2pm, Novi. At Tollgate Farm. Perennials for sun & shade, Tollgate volunteers answer gardening questions, rain or shine. Tollgate.msu.edu/programs, 248-347-3860, ext. 251. Vermiculture Workshop Sat, Jun 13, 10am-Noon, Ann Arbor. By Project Grow at Leslie Science & Nature Ctr. $30. Create a worm composting bin to benefit your garden. www.eventbrite.com/e/ vermiculture-tickets-16386914703. H Pond & Waterfall Design Sat, Jun 13, 10am-Noon, Milford. At The Pond Place. FREE. Workshop will address the key issues associated with designing & building your own pond. Register: www.PondPlace.com. H Rose Care Class Sat, Jun 13, 11am, Southgate. At Ray Hunter Florist & Garden. FREE. All you need to know about caring for your roses. 734-284-2500. H Pond Construction Sat, Jun 13, 1-3pm, Milford. At The Pond Place. FREE. Optional hands-on experience building an 11’ x 16’ pond with stream, waterfall & bog. Register: www.PondPlace.com. H Second Saturday Sunrise Series Sat, Jun 13, 15 Minutes before sunrise, Tipton. At Hidden Lake Gardens. $10. Share 755 acres before the day begins. Limited space. Register: 517-431-2060. Fairy Garden Workshop Sat, Jun 13, 10-Noon, Taylor. At Taylor Conservatory. $25. Bring some magic to your life with a make & take fairy garden. Class size is limited. www.TaylorConservatory.org. H 25th Annual Ann Arbor Garden Walk Sat, Jun 13, & Sun, Jun 14, 10am-4pm, Ann Arbor. By Ann Arbor Farm & Garden. $25 through 6/1. 7 different gardens each day, Plants & Art Marketplace. www.AnnArborFarmAndGarden.org.

H Nature Hike Sat, Jun 13, 10:30am, Tipton. At Hidden Lake Gardens. $5. Enjoy a family-friendly hike on Hidden Lake Garden’s many rolling & wooded trails. Register: hiddenlakegardens.msu.edu. H Willow Workshop 2015 Sun, Jun 14, Haslett. At Van Attas. $45-$300. Sign up to make anything from a plant stand to a willow bench with many projects in between. Register: 517-339-1142. Rochester Garden Walk Thu, Jun 18, 10am-6pm, Rochester. By Rochester Garden Club at 6 private gardens & Rochester Hills Museum gardens. $16. Open Aire Market on museum grounds 10am-4pm. 248-656-4663. H Wine & Design: Herb Pallet-Planting Thu, Jun 18, 6:30-7:30pm, Haslett. At Van Atta’s. $35. Bring your own beer or wine & we’ll provide everything you’ll need to create a beautiful take-home project. Register: 517-339-1142. H Behind the Scenes at Hidden Lake Gardens Thu, Jun 18, 6:30pm, Tipton. At Hidden Lake Gardens. $5. Bring your questions & learn a few tips from HLG’s Managing Director, Paul Pfeifer. www.hiddenlakegardens. msu.edu. Growing It Greener with Organics Free Class Sat, Jun 20, 11am, Southgate. At Ray Hunter Florist & Garden. FREE. Learn how to garden organically in your flower & vegetable gardens, lawn & landscape. 734-284-2500. Trenton Garden Walk Sat, Jun 20, 10am-4pm, Trenton. At 6 Trenton area gardens. $8. Garden marketplace. Advance tickets & locations: 734-281-6504. H Pond Maintenance Sat, Jun 20, 10-11am, Milford. At The Pond Place. FREE. Workshop will focus on keeping optimal water quality in water gardens & koi ponds. Register: www.PondPlace. com. H Faerie Clay Pot House Garden Sat, Jun 20, 10am-noon, Fenton. At Heavenly Scent Herb Farm. $89.75. Create a faerie house out of a 20” clay pot. www.HeavenlyScentHerbFarm.com, 810-629-9208. H Nature A-Z Preschool Classes Sat, Jun 20, 10:30am, Tipton. At Hidden Lake Gardens. $8. Children ages 3-7 are invited to explore the natural world through songs & crafts. Register: 517-431-2060. H Landscape Design Sun, Jun 21, 1-3pm, Detroit. At Detroit Farm & Garden. FREE. Learn useful planting tips to help you create a beautiful & sustainable plan. 313-655-2344. Protect our Pollinator Day Sun, Jun 21, 1-3pm, Taylor. At Taylor Conservatory. FREE. Join us for a Sunday Funday learning about our pollinator friends in honor of National Pollinator Week. www.TaylorConservatory.org. 2015 Southfield Garden Walk Thu, Jun 25, 2-5pm, Southfield. Southfield Parks & Garden Club at private Washington Heights gardens. $10. Park at Academy of Southfield for shuttle service. sfldparks@ hotmail.com. 24th Annual Grosse Pointe Garden Tour Fri, Jun 26, 10am-4pm, Grosse Pointe. By Grosse Pointe Garden Center, Inc at 7 private gardens. $15. Tickets available at Grosse Pointe War Memorial. 313-881-7511 ext. 206. 2015 Garden Walk Sat, Jun 27, 9am-4pm, Wayne. By Wayne GC at 5 private gardens & Brenda’s Butterfly House. $10 at 1st Congregational Church. Advance tickets: Wayne Library & Barson’s. 734-728-1232. Crocker House Garden Walk & “All about GMOs” Garden Breakfast Sat, Jun 27, 9am-4pm, Mt. Clemens. At Crocker House. $15. Breakfast talk with Stephen Hulbert. $10 with advance reservation. www.CrockerHouseMuseum.com. Register: 586-465-2488. H Color Your Garden with Perennials Sat, Jun 27, 11am, Southgate. At Ray Hunter Florist & Garden. FREE. 734-284-2500.

Lansing

East Haslett Lansing

Owosso

Williamston

Hartland Highland

Fowlerville

Mason

Howell

Brighton

Arrowhead Alpines

Milarch Nursery

1310 Gregory Rd., Fowlerville, MI 48836

28500 Haas Rd., New Hudson, MI 48165

517-223-3581

248-437-2094

www.arrowheadalpines.com May/June hours: Wed-Sat 11-5 Specializing in rare and unusual plants. One of the most well-known specialty nurseries in Michigan, with a huge selection of perennials, woodland wildflowers, unusual ferns, and rare alpines for rock gardens, miniature landscapes, and fairy gardens. We’re always on the hunt for new plants; the more unusual the better!

www.milarchnursery.com Hours – Thru Sat, June 27: Mon-Fri 8-5:30, Sat 8-3; Starting Mon, June 29: Mon-Fri 8-5, Sat 8-1 The finest nursery stock and perennials since 1972. We grow and maintain quality plants, along with special care in handling. 27 acres of shade and flowering trees, evergreens, flowering shrubs, perennials and groundcovers. Landscape-grade sizes are available. We offer each customer a knowledgeable salesperson to assist with plant selection.

Everlastings in the Wildwood 2577 W. Brewer Rd., Owosso, MI 48867

989-723-7175 www.everlastingsinthewildwood.com May/June hours: Open 7 days, 10-6 Located in 100 acres of mature forest and rolling farmland where wildflowers are in bloom throughout May. Enjoy the woodland drive, numerous display gardens, ponds and waterfalls as you shop in tranquility. One of the area’s most unusual collections of hybrid annuals, perennials, trees, shrubs, containers, pottery, statuary and fountains.

One Stop Landscape Supply 2586 S. Milford Rd., Highland, MI 48357

248-684-0332 www.onestoplandscapesupply.com May/June hours: Mon-Fri 7:30-6:30, Sat 7:30-5, Sun 9-3 Over 5 acres of landscape supplies, plus an outdoor living display. Mulches, soils, stone, garden decor, tools, water features, lighting, and much more. We are your One Stop for everything you need as a do-it-yourself gardener. Knowledgeable staff helps answer your questions. Call us for same day delivery!

Milford

New Hudson

Wixom

The Pond Place of Michigan 3505 W. Highland Rd., Milford, MI 48380

248-889-8400 www.pondplace.com May/June hours: Mon-Fri 9-6, Sat 9-4, Sun 11-4 Established in 2001, The Pond Place is one of the largest retailers and wholesalers of pond supplies in Michigan. Our knowledgeable staff is here to help with your pond supply, koi, goldfish and water plant needs. Visit www. pondplace.com for online shopping and browse our list of free pond workshops!

Specialty Growers 4330 Golf Club Rd., Howell MI 48843

517-546-7742 www.specialtygrowers.net May/June hours: Mon-Fri 9-6, Sat 9-5, Sun 10-4 Excellent selection of perennials, grasses, hostas, native plants, herb and vegetable plants, all grown here at our nursery. Heirloom tomatoes and interesting pepper varieties. Perennials from starter 3.5” pots up to 2-gallon size. Outdoor-grown perennials, acclimated to local weather conditions, selected for Michigan gardens. Complete catalog on our website. Knowledgeable, experienced staff.

Van Atta’s Greenhouse 9008 Old M-78, Haslett, MI 48840

517-339-1142 www.vanattas.com Hours – May: Mon-Sat 9-9, Sun 10-7; June: Mon-Sat 9-8, Sun 10-7 One of the largest selections of plants and garden accents in Southeastern Michigan. We grow an enormous variety of perennials. There’s a good chance we have that one plant you’ve been searching for, or the garden ornament that sets your yard apart. Come stroll our grounds—you’ll be amazed at what you find.

To advertise in Destinations, email Publisher@MichiganGardener.com or call Eric at 248-594-5563

H Fairy Day Sat, Jun 27, 10am-4pm, Saline. At Nature’s Garden Center. Games, prizes, face painting, food & fun. www.NaturesGardenCenter.com. MGAGC Garden Tour 2015 Sun, Jun 28, 10am-5pm, Genesee County. By MGAGC at 9 local gardens. Self-guided garden tour starting in Flint & ending in Davison. GCgardentour.weebly.com, birdieball@ aol.com.

July Whimsical Wonderland Garden Walk Wed, Jul 8, 9am-4pm, Northville. By Country Garden Club of Northville at 6 private gardens. $10. Proceeds support local, state & national non-profit organizations. www.cgcnv.org. Troy Garden Walk “Splashes & Flowers” Wed, Jul 8, 9:30am-3pm & 5-8:30pm, Troy. By Troy Garden Club at 8 private gardens & Troy Historic Village. $15. Arts & crafts boutique & plant sale. Rain or shine. 248-540-4249. Garden Tour Sat, Jul 11, 10am-4pm, St. Clair County. By Master Gardeners of St. Clair County at 7 county gardens. Plant sale & garden boutique. $15. www.mgoscc.org, alican@comcast. net. 586-914-4521. Eat Your Weeds! Sat, Jul 11, 10am-Noon, Ann Arbor. By Project Grow at Leslie Science & Nature Ctr. $5. Learn about tasty edible weeds. www.eventbrite.com/e/eat-your-weedstickets-16386623833.

H Pond & Waterfall Design Sat, Jul 11, 10am-Noon, Milford. At The Pond Place. FREE. Workshop will address the key issues associated with designing & building your own pond. Register: www. PondPlace.com. H Pond Construction Sat, Jul 11, 1-3pm, Milford. At The Pond Place. FREE. Optional hands-on experience building an 11’ x 16’ pond with stream, waterfall & bog. Register: www.PondPlace.com. H LACASA’s Garden Tour Weekend Sat, Jul 11, & Sun, Jul 12, 9am-4pm, Livingston Co. By LACASA. $15 advance tickets. $20 at entrance. Scavenger hunt, blooming raffle, original botanical art t-shirts & garden strolling. All proceeds benefit abused children & victims of interpersonal violence. www.lacasacenter.org. East Side, West Side Gardens Sun, Jul 12, 11am-4pm, Belleville. By Belleville Area District Library at 5 private gardens. $12. Garden marketplace. 734-699-3291, www.belleville.lib.mi.us. A Walk with Flowers & Friends Wed, Jul 15, Charlevoix. By Charlevoix Area Garden Club at 6 private area gardens. $15. Ticket information: 231-547-2119, navar@torchlake.com. Lunch with Flowers & Friends Wed, Jul 15, Charlevoix. By Charlevoix Area Garden Club at Castle Farms. $25. Dazzling floral arrangements & catering by Staffords Weathervane. Register: 989-859-1666.

H Wine & Design: Make a Miniature Garden & Accessories Thu, Jul 16, 6:30-7:30pm, Haslett. At Van Atta’s. $30. Bring your own beer or wine & we’ll provide everything you’ll need to create a beautiful take-home project. Register: 517-339-1142. H Pond Construction Sat, Jul 18, 1-3pm, Milford. At The Pond Place. FREE. Optional hands-on experience building an 11’ x 16’ pond with stream, waterfall & bog. Register: www.PondPlace.com. H Pond & Waterfall Design Sat, Jul 18, 10am-Noon, Milford. At The Pond Place. FREE. Workshop will address the key issues associated with designing & building your own pond. Register: www.PondPlace.com. Art in the Gardens Open House at Tollgate Sat, Jul 18, 10am-3pm, Novi. At Tollgate Farm. FREE. Over a dozen gardens on display, tours, presentations, artists & more. Tollgate.msu.edu/programs, 248-347-3860. H The Garden Cruise Sun, Jul 19, 9am-4:30pm, Metro Detroit. By Detroit Garden Works & The Greening of Detroit. Tour Only: $35/person, tour & cocktail reception: $50/person. 248-335-8089. H Medicinal Herbs Sun, Jul 19, 1-3pm, Detroit. At Detroit Farm & Garden. FREE. This is an introductory class that will touch on many different aspects of herbalism. 313-655-2344. H Pond Maintenance Sat, Jul 25, 10-11am, Milford. At The Pond Place. FREE. Workshop will focus on keeping optimal water quality in water gardens & koi ponds. Register: www.PondPlace.com.

“Inspirations” Garden Tour Sat, Jul 25, 10am-4pm, Harrison Twp. By Harrison Twp. Beautification Commission. $15. Ticket pick-up at Tucker Senior Ctr. 586-242-3868.

August H Children’s Garden Day Sat, Aug 1, 11am-3pm, Tipton. At Hidden Lake Gardens. 517-431-2060. H MSU Garden Day Sat, Aug 1, 8am-4:15pm, East Lansing. At MSU Horticulture Gardens. $86.50. Author Rick Darke presents 2 keynote presentations. Includes 2 workshops of your choice, book signing, parking, lunch, materials & access to the Marketplace. www.hrt.msu.edu/garden-day-2015. H Tour of Bader Acres in Howell Tue, Aug 11, 10am, Howell. By APG at Bader Acres. $15. www.AssociationOfProfessionalGardeners.org, 248-375-9233. H Wine & Design: Unique Fall Container Garden Thu, Aug 13, 6:30-7:30pm, Haslett. At Van Atta’s. $35. Bring your own beer or wine & we’ll provide everything youll need to create a beautiful take-home project. Register: 517-339-1142. H Fermentation Sun, Aug 16, 1-3pm, Detroit. At Detroit Farm & Garden. FREE. We will discuss basic fermenting & there will be a hands-on fermenting project. 313-655-2344.

Michigan Gardener | May 2015 | MichiganGardener.com

An introduction to green roofs by Nicholas Smith Green roofs can be installed on roofs of many different shapes and slopes, but flat roofs lend themselves most readily. Depending on the design, a green roof offers new habitat for flora and fauna alike. There are two types of green roofs: extensive and intensive. An extensive green roof often covers a large area but it can be installed and maintained at relatively low cost. The typical soil depth for the plants is 2-1/2 to 6 inches and the weight is low at 20 to 30 pounds per square foot. This allows for the easy greening of an existing roof at a later time. Another advantage of the extensive green roof is the low maintenance cost, since the plants are chosen to survive and grow with

natural amounts of precipitation. These plant communities often include various succulents (such as sedums), mosses, grasses and herbs. In all cases, the roofs need to be accessed once or twice a year for inspection in addition to removing unwanted weeds. Intensive green roofs are very different. This type of green roof makes possible virtually the entire range of landscape architectural ideas. Generally speaking, what can be done on the ground can be done on the intensive green roof. Plant material—including lawn, trees, shrubs, and perennials—can be grown in varying depths of soil, ranging from 5 to 40 inches. With appropriate structural support, hard landscape elements such as terraces, patios and pathways as well as play areas and water features are some of the design elements able to be used in intensive green

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This permanently reliable green roof system consists of the following functional layers: protection mat, drainage layer, filter sheet, growing medium, and plants. roofs. Depending on the design, a weight range of 42 to 260 pounds per square foot should be calculated for intensive green roofs. Irrigation and regular maintenance must also be taken into consideration.

Green roof layers A green roof system consists of a number of layers, each with a different function. The base layer is always a professionally waterproofed roof. The waterproofing must be root-resistant. If not, a separate layer called a root barrier must be installed. The first layer of the actual green roof build-up is a high grade protection sheet which protects the waterproofing from mechanical damage. This is followed by drainage elements that both retain water in their retention cells and drain away surplus water through the channel system molded into the bottom of this layer, carrying it to the roof drains. Drainage elements will vary depending on the specifics of the roof shape and slope as well as on the green roof design. The drainage layer is normally installed over the entire green roof, allowing for free drainage of the entire area even under pathways, terraces and other hard landscape elements. Stone walls, play equipment and other landscape elements can be built directly on top on this drainage layer. The remainder of the green roof build-up includes a filter fabric installed on top of the drainage layer, and finally the growing medium. The filter fabric prevents fines in the growing medium from migrating into the drainage layer. The growing medium is composed of crushed clay tile or brick and organic materials specifically blended to suit the plants that have been planned for the green roof. There are numerous ways to plant the extensive green roof: seed mixtures, sedum cuttings, small plug plants and even pre-cultivated vegetation mats which provide instant

cover for the roof. The planting palette for intensive green roofs can include perennials as well as woody plants such as shrubs and trees. Green roofs are an obvious partner with solar energy. The synergy effects begin with the use of the green roof to ballast the solar panels, eliminating the need to penetrate the waterproofing with mounting brackets. Specially designed base plates that are part of the green roof system secure the brackets which support the solar panels. The second important benefit of the green roof for solar is the increased output from the panels due to a lower ambient temperature on the green roof. This can improve solar performance by approximately 4 percent.

Green roofs add value Green roofs act as a protective layer on the waterproofing, eliminating UV exposure and drastically reducing temperature fluctuations experienced by the waterproofing. This ultimately increases the longevity of the waterproofing membrane. Green roofs retain rainwater (40 to 90 percent, depending on the type of roof) and therefore reduce storm water runoff, an obvious benefit in highly urbanized areas. Green roofs enhance the structural soundproofing and also function as additional insulation, thus improving the structure’s energy budget (both heating and cooling). In urban areas, green roofs on commercial buildings reintroduce greenery, which improves air quality and adds practical amenity and recreational space at no additional real estate cost. Lastly, green roofs can be beautiful architectural highlights. It is important to recognize that all this is possible only with detailed planning, reliable technology, and professional installation. Nicholas Smith is from ZinCo USA (www.zinco-usa.com).

Uncle Luke’s featuring

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Vegetables & flowers: Fresh plants arrive frequently throughout spring—Come visit often!

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Brenda’s Butterfly Habitat is filled with butterflies, and host and nectar plants that are native to the area. You will see the complete life cycle of these winged beauties in all stages of their metamorphosis!

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Ask For It at your local garden center

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Visit our 2nd location in Flushing: Flushing Lawn & Garden • 810-659-6241

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Michigan Gardener | May 2015 | MichiganGardener.com

perennial partners

Karen Bovio

Eric Hofley / Michigan Gardener

Old-fashioned bleeding heart (background, pink) and columbine (foreground) mingle together effortlessly.

Paint your spring garden with this colorful, classic grouping COLOR! It’s what we crave, especially at the beginning of the growing season. Our initial need for color in spring is satisfied by the bulb flowers: bright crocuses, hyacinths, daffodils, and finally the tulips. But “backup” plants for the bulb flowers are scarce, and after the bulbs have finished, we often feel robbed, bereft of color until our favorite spring perennials begin to bud and bloom. Fortunately, here in Michigan, we don’t have to wait too long because the old-fashioned bleeding heart follows quickly, producing those enchanting heart-shaped blooms in mid-May, often coinciding with the bloom of the late tulip varieties. Old-fashioned bleeding heart (recently renamed Lamprocapnos

spectabilis, a change from Dicentra) blooms longer than commonly given credit for, especially during cool springs, when it blooms from mid-May through mid-June. It’s an excellent perennial for the beginner, requiring only average soil and growing well in either sun or shade. The foliage goes dormant during Karen the hot part of the summer. Cut it to Bovio the ground any time after the plant has finished blooming, or let the foliage blend unobtrusively into the background as other plants cover the fading foliage. A chorus of columbines adds a cheerful note, with flowers arriving about a week af-

ter the bleeding heart. They come in every color of the rainbow, and then some! An often overlooked perennial due to its somewhat short life span (the plants, not the flowers)—it deserves greater use. Some perennials are simply not meant to live forever—for that purpose we have peonies, hellebores, daylilies and gas plants. The appeal of columbines is partly due to their ephemeral nature. Because they are promiscuous and prodigiously fertile, new columbines pop up continuously so the demise of older ones is seldom noticed until the time when most of them begin to look

the same. When that happens, it’s time for an infusion of “new blood” in the form of fresh plants that have been grown from selected seed strains of known color or type. I often go for the reds, because they give that “shot in the arm” burst of color that is so sorely needed in springtime. Because they readily cross with each other and some colors become dominant, the longer a planting of columbines is allowed to seed and re-seed the more homogenous the planting becomes. When it starts to become dull, just add new colorful ones. Happily, because columbines are grown from seed, they are among the least expencontinued on page 40

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Michigan Gardener | May 2015 | MichiganGardener.com

Recommended varieties Old-fashioned bleeding heart (Lamprocapnos spectabilis, aka Dicentra spectabilis) • Straight species – Pink flowers • ‘Alba’ – White flowers • ‘Gold Heart’ – Pink flowers and chartreuse/gold foliage • ‘Valentine’ – Coral-red flowers, stems tinted burgundy Columbine (Aquilegia species and hybrids) • ‘Songbird Series’ (A. x caerulea) – A new, long-spurred hybrid strain; shades and bicolors of blue, red, pink, purple, lavender, white, and yellow; 24 inches tall • ‘Music Red and Gold’ (A. x caerulea) – A long-spurred, red and yellow bicolor; 20 inches tall • ‘Yellow Queen’ (A. chrysantha) – Yellow, long-spurred; very long blooming; 36 inches tall • ‘Winky Series’ (A. x vulgaris) – Upfacing, short-spurred; many colors; dwarf plants 15 inches tall Geranium (Geranium hybrids) • ‘Johnson’s Blue’ – Classic variety with cup-shaped blue flowers in May-June; 18 inches tall and wide • ‘Rozanne’ – Blue flowers with white centers all summer; sprawling habit, 2 feet tall by 3 feet wide • ‘Biokovo’ (G. cantabrigiense) – White flowers tinged pink; fragrant foliage; May-June blooming; compact habit 10 inches tall

continued from page 38

Eric Hofley / Michigan Gardener

Columbines provide a dazzling array of spring color.

Eric Hofley / Michigan Gardener

Geranium ‘Johnson’s Blue’ complements both columbine and bleeding heart.

sive perennials and can often be purchased as small potted plants at a bargain price. Columbines are sold as seed strains rather than as cultivars. Cultivars are technically clones—identical in genetic makeup, reproduced by vegetative methods like stem or root cuttings, division, or micropropagation (tissue culture). Plants in a strain are produced from seed, and are more like brothers and sisters: similar, but different. They may vary in color, height, or other characteristics. It’s a delightful experience to buy a batch of young columbines and watch them burst into glorious different colors the following spring! Columbines, being light, airy plants with delicate-looking foliage and wiry stems, take up little space in the perennial garden. They can be sprinkled about liberally, and graciously fade into the background when they have finished blooming. You may deadhead them, or not, depending on whether you desire more of them to pop up, as they invariably will. There are a couple of problems that plague columbines and cause some annoyance for gardeners. The columbine sawfly appears on the leaves around the time that lilacs bloom. It is a small green larva which feeds along the leaf margins, but does not feed on the flower stems. Columbine sawfly larvae can decimate plants in a hurry, so be prepared in mid-May. They are easily controlled with any insecticide or insecticidal soap. The columbine leaf miner is more difficult to control. By the time the tell-tale squiggly white lines appear in the foliage, it is too late to control them, so simply snip off and destroy most of the affected

leaves. Superficial sprays are ineffective because the insect is protected in the leaf epidermis. They can be controlled with systemic insecticides applied prior to the appearance of the tunnels. Timing is important: I find that a systemic insecticide applied in midMay will control both pests. Geranium ‘Johnson’s Blue’ provides both bulk and color in this trio. The simple, round blue flowers provide a perfect mix-and-match partner for the columbines. This is one of the older geranium varieties that has withstood the test of time. While not as long blooming as some of the newer introductions, it produces masses of flowers during its peak season in late May, and the cut-leaf foliage is distinctive. This easy perennial is also very long lived; I have a 30-year-old plant in one of my gardens. It comes up, blooms and behaves itself reliably, every year. If one wanted to prolong the blue color in this garden through the entire season, simply add a plant or two of geranium ‘Rozanne.’ It has the same color flower, and while not as profusely blooming, its bloom time stretches from mid-June through hard frost. The happy little scene portrayed here will work well in many gardens. Ideally the trio is suited to a site with morning sun or light filtered shade for part or most of the day. Columbines and geraniums also do well in full sun, and although bleeding heart is generally considered a shade plant, I have found that it also does just fine in sun provided the soil is loamy and moist. Karen Bovio is the owner of Specialty Growers in Howell, MI.

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Advertiser Index A-1 Organic Lawns....................................39 Abbott’s Landscape Nursery..............34 Aguafina Gardens International.........21 Alexander’s Farm Mkt/Greenhses...19 Ann Arbor Farm & Garden................... 32 Auburn Oaks Gard Ctr.............................41 Barson’s Greenhouse.............................. 37 Beauchamp Lawn & Landscape............5 Bloom! Garden Ctr..................................... 15 Blossoms........................................................41 Bogie Lake Greenhouses........................ 15 Bonide.............................Inside Back Cover Campbell’s Greenhouses......................29 Contender’s Tree/Lawn Specialists....7 Cranbrook House & Gardens.............. 33 Destinations: Ann Arbor........................16 Destinations: Downriver........................ 27 Destinations: I-96..................................... 35 Destinations: Macomb...........................43 Detroit Garden Works...............................9 Downtown Home & Garden................34 Earthly Arts..................................................36 Eckert’s Greenhouse................................19 EcoChic Landscape Design.................. 37 English Gardens.................................Page 3

Espoma...........................................................14 Everlastings in the Wildwood............... 12 The Flower Market...................................34 Fraleigh’s Landscape Nursery.............39 The Garden Company............................ 25 The Garden Mill..........................................10 Garden Rhythms..........................................8 A Garden Space............................................6 George’s Livonia Gardens......................10 Guardian Tree Experts............................. 13 Haley Stone Supply..................................39 Heavenly Scent Herb Farm....................19 Hessell’s Greenhouses........................... 25 Hidden Lake Gardens...............................41 Howell Farmer’s Market........................39 Iron Barn Iron Work................................. 37 LACASA Center.........................................19 Matthaei Botanical Gardens.................21 Meier Flowerland...................................... 23 Merrittscape...............................................29 Michigan Nursery/Landscp Assoc.. 33 Milarch Nursery.......................................... 15 Mulligan’s Garden Ctr.............................34 Nature’s Garden Ctr.................................36 Oakland Cty Market................................ 23

Organimax................................................... 23 Orion Stone Depot.................................... 32 Osmocote....................Inside Front Cover Piechnik’s Greenhouse............................ 17 Plymouth Nursery.................................... 23 Proven Winners Color Choice.............. 11 Ray Hunter Garden Ctr........................... 33 Rocks ‘n’ Roots............................................. 17 Schuman Landscape Lighting............. 37 Schwartz’s Greenhouse..........................10 Shades of Green Nursery......................39 Specialty Growers...................................... 15 State Crushing.............................................21 Steinkopf Nursery...................................... 13 Stone Cottage Gardens........................... 17 Suburban Landscape Supply................41 Sunny Fields Botanical Park.................. 12 Telly’s Greenhouse......................................4 Tropical Treasures....................................29 Turner’s Landscp & Gard Ctr............... 25 Tuthill Farms & Composting................ 37 Uncle Luke’s Feed Store......................... 37 Van Atta’s Greenhouse.......................... 25 The Weed Lady...........................................21 Westcroft Gardens...................................14 Wojo’s.............................................................. 12

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Look for Allen Park • Ace Hardware

Precipitation March 2015

NORMAL Monthly 2.28 1.91 2.06

Detroit Flint Lansing

ACTUAL Monthly 0.80 0.92 0.74

March 2014 DEVIATION from Normal -1.48 -0.99 -1.32

2015 Year to Date: Jan 1 - Mar 31

NORMAL Yr. to Date 6.26 5.02 5.18

Detroit Flint Lansing

ACTUAL Yr. to Date 3.60 3.09 2.99

DEVIATION from Normal -2.66 -1.93 -2.19

NORMAL

ACTUAL Monthly 1.49 1.21 1.69

Monthly 2.28 1.91 2.06

DEVIATION from Normal -0.79 -0.70 -0.37

2014 Year to Date: Jan 1 - Mar 31

NORMAL

Yr. to Date 6.26 5.02 5.18

ACTUAL Yr. to Date 7.23 5.22 5.61

DEVIATION from Normal +0.97 +0.20 +0.43

Temperature March 2015 NORMAL Avg. High 45.2 43.1 43.5 NORMAL Avg. Low 28.5 24.3 24.3

Detroit Flint Lansing Detroit Flint Lansing

ACTUAL Avg. High 44.0 43.0 42.8 ACTUAL Avg. Low 25.1 22.5 22.6

March 2014 DEVIATION from Normal -1.2 -0.1 -0.7 DEVIATION from Normal -3.4 -1.8 -1.7

ORMAL N Avg. High 45.2 43.1 43.5 NORMAL Avg. Low 28.5 24.3 24.3

ACTUAL Avg. High 37.6 36.5 35.5 ACTUAL Avg. Low 19.7 15.4 16.0

DEVIATION from Normal -7.6 -6.6 -8.0 DEVIATION from Normal -8.8 -8.9 -8.3

Data courtesy National Weather Service

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Drew’s Garden

Landscape Source

23751 Gratiot Ave., Eastpointe, MI 48021

17448 26 Mile Rd., Macomb, MI 48042

586-775-3770

586-677-7480

May/June hours: Mon-Sat 7-8, Sun 10-7 NEW Garden Center! Drew’s Garden will continue the Semrau tradition. New this year: lower pricing! Annuals, perennials, roses, shrubs, trees, houseplants—even palm trees, pineapple plants, and specialty items you won’t find anywhere else! Open through Christmas. Farmers Market with fresh produce and mums starting in August. Landscapers welcome—trade discount available.

www.landscapesource.com May/June hours: Mon-Fri 8-6, Sat 8-5, Sun 9-4 A premier landscape supply company. We have the amazing new ‘Regal Petticoat’ maple. 15 acres of products including trees, shrubs, perennials, soils, stone, mulch, fire glass, fireplaces and pond kits. Our trees and shrubs are the best available. Fendt, Oaks, and Unilock premium pavers and walls. Very reasonable prices and great quality.

Eckert’s Greenhouse & Perennials

Meldrum Brothers Nursery & Supply

34075 Ryan Rd., Sterling Heights, MI 48310 586-979-2409 www.eckertsgreenhouse.com May/June hours: Mon-Sat 8:30-8, Sun 8:30-6 From the rare and unusual to the preferred and popular, you will find something extraordinary for your garden: Annuals, Geraniums, Hanging Baskets, Flower Pouches, Perennials, Collector’s Hostas, Roses (David Austin English, Hybrid Teas, Floribundas, and Shrub), Clematis, Vines, Alpine Plants, Groundcovers, Butterfly Plants, Native Plants. Gorgeous hosta display gardens too!

29500 23 Mile Rd., New Baltimore, MI 48047

586-949-9220 www.meldrumbros.com May/June hours: Mon-Sat 8-8, Sun 10-5 We are one of the oldest and largest landscape supply and garden centers in Southeastern Michigan. We carry a huge selection of plants, bulk materials, paving & wall stones, garden décor, fountains & statuary, and organic & traditional lawn/plant care products. We pride ourselves on offering the best service and advice in the area.

Elya’s Village Gardens & Greenhouses

Young’s Garden Mart

24200 26 Mile Rd., Macomb, MI 48042

586-749-9212 or 586-405-7592

27825 Ryan Rd., Warren, MI 48092

586-573-0230

May/June hours: Mon-Sat 9-7, Sun 10-3 We do more than just sell you plants—our award-winning landscape designers will help you select the right plants for your home and garden. Annuals, perennials, many hosta varieties, trees and shrubs from top-quality Michigan growers. Family-owned garden center since 1966. Also full-service landscape installation.

English Gardens 44850 Garfield Rd., Clinton Township, MI 48038  586-286-6100 www.EnglishGardens.com Hours – Thru Sun, June 7: Mon-Sat 8-9, Sun 8-6; Starting Mon, June 8: Mon-Sat 9-9, Sun 9-6 Founded in 1954, English Gardens is family- and locally-owned, operating six full-service stores and a full-service landscaping company in Metro Detroit. Each full-service store has a nursery, garden center, patio shop, and seasonal Christmas center featuring the best value and finest quality products and services. For more information: 800-335-GROW.

English Gardens

Find us on Facebook May/June hours: Mon-Sat 9-7, Sun 10-5 Family run and operated since 1924, we offer a variety of annual, perennial, and tropical plants, as well as gardening gifts and tools. We are proud to be the area’s trusted garden center, open yearround. Our Christmas Shoppe, established in 1963, provides only the highest quality Christmas decorations.

22501 Kelly Rd., Eastpointe, MI 48021 586-771-4200 www.EnglishGardens.com May/June hours: Mon-Sat 9-7; Sun 9-6 Founded in 1954, English Gardens is family- and locally-owned, operating six full-service stores and a full-service landscaping company in Metro Detroit. Each full-service store has a nursery, garden center, patio shop, and seasonal Christmas center featuring the best value and finest quality products and services. For more information: 800-335-GROW.

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Michigan Gardener | May 2015 | MichiganGardener.com

Summer containers Thoughts and opinions about the ingredients necessary for creating beautiful summer container plantings

n empty container represents the opity to plant and care for containers can persist portunity to create an arrangement long after the ability to cut beds, turn soil, and of plants all of one’s own choosing. plant trees has waned. Designing and creating a seasonal living The pots vignette in a container is not only fun, it is Strictly speaking, any object that can hold satisfying. A container is a vehicle by which soil and permit water to drain away constia gardener can make a personal statement tutes a pot. But a beautiful container planting about nature and beauty. The results can be is as much about the container as it is about seen and enjoyed in the space of one season. the plants. A container planting that considGiven the almost limitless number of plants ers the size, shape and decoration of the conthat can thrive in a container planted for the tainer as part of the overall effect is especially summer season, it would take several gardenbeautiful to my eye. A container represents ing lifetimes to even make a dent in the possithe gardener’s point of view as much as the bilities. That summer annuals grow and maplants they choose. ture in but a few short months is a relief. One If a cottage garden, and the nocan abandon a scheme that disaption of farm to table enchants you, pointed, or try something new for then perhaps a collection of vinthe sheer joy of trying something tage galvanized metal containers new. A well-maintained container will help make that idea visually planting of interesting design has stronger. If the architecture of your the potential to create a landscape home is crisp, clean and contempoall its own—in miniature. It is a virary, pots of that ilk will satisfy you. sual book of what is on a gardener’s If a whiff of history is your idea of a mind at that particular moment. Deborah great fragrance, then an antique or My container choices over the Silver antique reproduction urn will serve years represent the evolution of your point of view well. If a plantmy taste in plants. A thoughtfully ing that flows over the edges of the pot all the designed container is an experience of the way to the ground represents your style, then landscape on a small and intense scale. Plantgo for the simplest containers available. ing summer containers is a way of exploring I would advise purchasing containers that plant relationships that can inform the bigger you truly like, as your love for the vehicle will garden and landscape in a small time frame. inspire what you fill it with. Choose containA landscape is a long-term commitment, ers that are properly proportioned to their requiring decisions that are not so easily placement. Pots on the front porch need to be changed. A collection of containers set within large, so the planting can be seen and enjoyed that landscape keeps the garden dialogue from the sidewalk. Pots on a terrace should be fresh and interesting. Planting containers is scaled to put both the pot and the planting at not just an exercise, it is an education that is eye level when you are seated. Terraces are ongoing, and can span many years. The abilfor sitting, relaxing, and having dinner. Some terrace pots should be tall, and their contents P H OTO G R A P H S BY D E B O R A H S I LV E R taller—with the idea of screening an untoward

Consider how plants will behave once they take root and start growing. This vibrant petunia nicely embraces the accompanying spiky phormium foliage. view, or providing privacy. A container on the dining table needs to be low to permit conversation across the table. I recommend containers with big planting spaces. Big containers give me the opportunity to explore the relationships of color, texture, mass, line and shape—in a detailed

way. I like lots of room, so I can put together an entire collection of summer annuals that grow up together, interact, and shine. Big containers mean a big soil mass, which will hold moisture in the heat of the summer. A pot that will forgive you if you are late to water is a pot worth having. Knowing the time you will

MichiganGardener.com | May 2015 | Michigan Gardener

This peachy begonia beautifully complements its terra cotta pot.

Any object that holds soil and lets water drain away constitutes a pot. This galvanized box fits the bill for this memorable planting of Platinum Blonde lavender, alyssum, and strawberries. put into the maintenance of your containers should inform your choice of plants and pots. Great pots with a design or material that pleases you sets the stage for all that is yet to come. If you are in the decision-making stage about containers and where to put them, an initial purchase of fiber pots or burlap pots is a great way to test your ideas without great expense. However, my experience is that a great container will encourage a great planting.

The soil I have no use for peat-based artificial soil mix for container plantings. Soil mixes were designed and manufactured for growers. These mixes are lightweight and sterile. They need a growerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hand to provide regular fertilization. I like soilâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;as in garden dirt. Soil, sand and compostâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;dirt that weighs a lot. A topsoil mix in your containers will retain water more evenly, and provide micronutrients whose composition is essential to the health of your plants. This is just my opinion, based on many years of planting containers. If the thought of hauling around 40-pound bags of topsoil is unnerving, be encouraged by the fact that much of your container should be drainage material (up to two-thirds for large pots). Too much soil in a pot can leave that soil waterlogged. Annual plants like regular water, but they like good drainage Big containers mean a big soil mass, which will hold moisture in the heat of the summer and will forgive you if you are late to water.

even better. At the bottom of your container? Hardwood bark is great, for a single season. We use bagged cedar bark mulch. Gravel is a long-term drainage material. I have also planted many a container with the plastic left over from the cell packs of plants. However you arrange for your drainage, it is key. Into the soil, we turn under a handful of time-release fertilizer like Osmocote, which breaks down in reaction to the soil temperature and will feed your plants until the heat of late summer releases the last of it. Container plants that need fertilizer will tell you. The leaves may have gone pale, or yellow, or the growth spindly. We feed with liquid feed every 10 days in late summer and fall. Some plants favor poor and infertile soil. Having an idea of what plants you plan to use can inform your choice of a soil mix.

Container design Containers are planted with a collection of small plants that start all about the same size. But that uniformity of size is just the beginning. Some annual plants will always be short, or cascading. Others may grow to a medium or very tall height. Some are wide, and boss around the plants next to them. Others are shrinking violets, and need their own air and light space. Think about how each of your plant selections will behave once they take root and start growing. The test of the design comes when a container planting matures. The overall shape of the planting, and the relationships established by the plants are important design factors. One can never know to a certainty how plants will react in a given situation. This means the best way to create great containers is to plant lots of them, and keep planting. Another method is to benefit from the experience of others. Look at lots of pictures of container plantings, and figure out what about them appeals to you. continued on next page

Michigan Gardener | May 2015 | MichiganGardener.com

continued from previous page

Style Containers can be planted in a variety of styles. Contemporary container plantings may feature a single plant, color, or texture. Pots with a restricted or austere plant palette have a contemporary or modern feel. That said, a small pot planted solidly with Dahlberg daisies can be quite cottagy in a cheery way. Yellow daisies have a certain look that will persist no matter how they are planted. Formal plantings can be equally austere. I think there is little visual difference between a contemporary and a formal planting. The feeling established by the environment around that container will influence how the style is interpreted. Exuberantly overflowing, big containers have that English garden look. An urn with a single agave has a Mediterranean look. Containers planted symmetrically and layered by height have a semi-formal and traditional lookâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;as in the spike and geranium pots so beloved by my grandmother. A pot with geraniums in the center and spikes all around the outside has an entirely different look. Asymmetrically planted pots have a dynamic and informal look.

Color How people see and react to color is a highly personal thing. There are many more colors in nature than we have words to describe. I am interested in the relationship of one color to another, and many of my containers reflect this. Every flower comes with leaves that also have a color. Some greens are cool and bluish. Others are warm and yellowish. Other foliage can be red, black, gray or white. Pale colors read great at a distance, and at night. Dark colors read well up close, and glow in the sun. White is sparkly and refreshing in the shade, but can provoke squinting in full sun. Put your plants all together in your shopping cart before you plant them in your pots.

The color white is sparkly and refreshing in shady spots. The white petunia, verbena, and angelonia all help brighten the subdued light of this entryway.

A beautiful container planting is as much about the container as it is about the plants.

Texture, mass, shape, and line Flowers and leaves have a particular quality to their surface. Petunia and nicotiana leaves are fuzzy, whereas ornamental black cotton leaves are shiny and hard-surfaced. Contrasting the textures of plants creates interesting combinations. Sometimes the relationship of one to another is more interesting than either one on its own. Phormiums are thin and spiky. Dahlias are burly and stiff. Licorice is lax growing, hairy, and small leaved. A white mandevilla planted as a trailer, rather than a climber, features the line it would take naturally, without the benefit of a trellis. Plants have personalities particular to them and no other plant. Assessing what about a plant pleases you the most will help you make good design decisions.

The plants One need not restrict their plant choices to summer annuals that are native to tropical zones. Boxwood are handsome in pots. Perennials, grasses, herbs, vegetables, small

Texture, mass, shape, and line are all at work here, in this vignette of containers. Note that there are no flowersâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;all the color impact is from leaves.

MichiganGardener.com | May 2015 | Michigan Gardener

Above: This bountiful, monochromatic window box container features verbena (far left and right), petunia, dichondra (center, trailing), euphorbia (center, bluish silver), Persian shield (background, metallic purple), and nicotiana (background, center).

Contemporary container plantings may feature a single plant, color, or texture, as evidenced here by this white caladium. trees, shrubs and groundcovers can also be very effective. Hostas can be successfully wintered over in their pots in an unheated garage. I have one client with a Japanese maple that has been in a weatherproof pot next to her garage for 20 years.

Maintenance No discussion of summer annual plant-

ings is complete without addressing maintenance. First, planting containers before the soil has warmed up is asking for trouble. Most of them originate in tropical places. Many of them can be permanently stunted by too early a planting. If you hate looking at empty pots, try filling your containers with spring plants and bulbs. A container withered and dead from lack

Outstanding textural contrast: thin, wispy, and light (Pennisetum setaceum ‘Fireworks’) versus big, bold, and rich (Keystone Kopper coleus). of water, or rotted from soil that did not drain is a dreary sight indeed. Worst of all, it may discourage a person from ever gardening in containers again. Plants coated in aphids are unappetizing, to say the least. So gardener, know yourself. If time is at a premium, select plants that thrive on drought and neglect. Consider adding irrigation lines to your containers if you cannot look them over every

day. If you are a heavy waterer, choose plants that like being drenched, or grow in a bog. Lotus and water lilies in pots are beautiful in containers. Auto irrigation is not perfect, but it can buy you a little time. Try a few containers before you try one hundred. See if having them will prove to be a pleasure or a nuisance. Try plants that are vigorous—success with plants will help make you more adventuresome the next time around. If you lose a plant in a pot, replace it. There is no rule that says you need to look at a dead plant, or a gaping hole, the rest of the season. But most of all, enjoy them. From the design to the planting to the care to the finish, planting containers is great fun. Deborah Silver formally studied English literature and biology, and later worked as a fine artist in watercolor and pastel. A part-time job in a nursery began her career in landscape and garden design. Since 1986, Deborah Silver and Co. has designed and installed landscapes and gardens that combine her thorough knowledge of horticulture with an artist’s eye for design. Deborah owns Detroit Garden Works, a retail store devoted to fine garden ornament and specialty plants. Follow her journal at deborahsilver.com/blog.

Michigan Gardener | May 2015 | MichiganGardener.com

A collection of stores and gardens to shop and visit. Please call ahead for hours, as they may vary from season to season.

eastpointe Columbiaville, Davison

Bay City, Burton, Clio, Gladwin, Midland, Saginaw

North Branch

Lapeer

Emmett

Lennon

Port Huron

Hadley Dryden

Grand Blanc

Flint

Bancroft, Owosso

Lakeport

Imlay City

Flushing

Metamora

H English Gardens 22501 Kelly Rd, MI 48021 586-771-4200 www.EnglishGardens.com H Drew’s Garden

farmington hills Angelo’s Landscp Supp Farmer John’s Greenhse Loeffler Stone Ctr H Steinkopf Nurs

Almont

fenton Gerych’s Flowers/Gift Fenton

Oxford

Ortonville

Addison Twp.

Orion

Hartland

Holly White Lake Waterford

White Lake Highland

East Lansing, Fowlerville, Grand Rapids, Haslett, Lansing, Mason, Williamston

Commerce

New Hudson South Lyon

Whitmore Lake

Novi Northville

Bloomfield Hills Birmingham

West Bloomfield

Farmington Hills Farmington

Wayne

Sterling Hts.

Southfield Oak Park Ferndale

Dearborn Dearborn Heights

Ypsilanti

Taylor Belleville

Romulus

Saline New Boston

Tipton

Troy

Eastpointe

Grosse Pointes

Detroit

Canton

Tecumseh

Brownstown Twp.

Southgate Trenton Grosse Ile

La Salle, Monroe

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H Denotes MG Advertiser almont American Tree

ann arbor H Abbott’s Nurs H Downtown Home/Gard H English Gardens 155 N. Maple Rd, MI 48103 734-332-7900 www.EnglishGardens.com H HillTop Greenhse/Farms H Lodi Farms H The Produce Station H Turner’s Greenhse/Garn Ctr Wild Birds Unltd

auburn hills Drake’s Landscp & Nurs H Haley Stone 3600 Lapeer Rd., MI 48326 248-276-9300 www.haleystone.net H State Crushing

bancroft Grand Oak Herb Farm

bay city H Begick Nursery & Garden Ctr 5993 Westside Saginaw Rd., 48706 989-684-4210 www.begicknursery.com

belleville Banotai Greenhse Gardeners Choice H Pinter Flowerland H Zywicki Greenhse

brighton H Beauchamp Landscp Supp Bordine’s Brighton Farmer’s Mkt Cowbell Lawn/Gard Leppek Nurs H Meier Flowerland H Nature’s Home & Garden Ctr

brownstown twp Bruce’s Pond Shop Raupp Brothers Gard Ctr H Ruhlig Farms & Gard H Walker Farms & Greenhouse 5253 E. Atherton Rd., MI 48519 810-743-0260 www.walkersfarm.com

canton Canton Floral Gardens Clink Nurs Crimboli Nurs H Wild Birds Unltd

cement city Hallson Gardens

chelsea

bloomfield hills

H Garden Mill 110 S. Main St., MI 48118 734-475-3539 www.thegardenmill.com

Backyard Birds

The Potting Shed

birmingham

chesterfield

berkley Garden Central

H Blossoms 33866 Woodward Ave, MI 48009 248-644-4411 www.blossomsbirmingham.com Plant Station Tiffany Florist

clinton twp H English Gardens 44850 Garfield Rd, MI 48038 586-286-6100 www.EnglishGardens.com Michigan Koi H Tropical Treasures

clio H Piechnik’s Grnhse & Gdn Ctr 13172 McCumsey Rd, MI 48420 810-686-9211 www.cliogreenhouse.com

burton

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flushing

Clinton Twp.

Westland

Ann Arbor

Masserant’s Feed Store

New Baltimore

Utica

Livonia Redford

Dexter

Manchester

flat rock

Macomb

St. Clair Berkley Roseville Shores Madison Royal Oak Heights Warren

Plymouth

Cement City, Chelsea, Grass Lake, Jackson, Stockbridge

ferndale Casual Modes Home/Gard

Shelby Twp.

Auburn Hills

Walled Lake Wixom Brighton

Rochester Hills

Pontiac

Milford

Ray

Rochester

Sylvan Lake Howell

Washington

Oakland

Clarkston

H Heavenly Scent Herb Farm 13730 White Lake Rd., MI 48430 810-629-9208 www.heavenlyscentherbfarm.com

columbiaville Hilltop Barn

commerce twp Zoner’s Greenhse

davison H Wojo’s Gard Splendors 7360 E. Court St., MI 48423 810-658-9221 www.wojos.com

dearborn Fairlane Gardens

dearborn heights H English Gardens 22650 Ford Rd, MI 48127 313-278-4433 www.EnglishGardens.com

detroit H Detroit Farm and Garden 1759 21st St., MI 48216 313-655-2344 www.detroitfarmandgarden.com

fowlerville H Arrowhead Alpines

gladwin H Stone Cottage Gardens 3740 W. Willford Rd., MI 48624 989-426-2919 www.stonecottagegardens.com

H Howell Farmer’s Market Dwntn Howell @ State & Clinton Sts. 517-546-3920 www.howell.org/19.html Penrose Nurs H Specialty Growers 4330 Golf Club Rd., MI 48843 517-546-7742 www.specialtygrowers.net Wilczewski Greenhses

imlay city H Earthly Arts Greenhse

jackson The Hobbit Place

lake orion Lake Orion Lawn Orn H Orion Stone Depot H Wojo’s of Lake Orion 559 S. Lapeer Rd, MI 48362 248-690-7435 www.wojos.com

lapeer H The Iron Barn

lasalle Fowler’s Gift Shop

lennon Krupps Novelty Shop

livonia Bushel Mart H George’s Livonia Gard Superior Growers Supp Valley Nurs

grand blanc

macomb

Bordine’s

Altermatt Greenhses Boyka’s Greenhse Deneweth’s Garden Ctr H Elya’s Village Gardens H Landscape Source Joe Randazzo’s Nurs Olejnik Farms Wade Nurs Wiegand’s Nursery

H The Weed Lady 9225 Fenton Rd., MI 48439 810-655-2723 www.theweedlady.com

grass lake H Designs by Judy Florist & Grnhse 3250 Wolf Lake Rd., MI 49240 517-522-5050 www.designsbyjudyflowers.com

manchester McLennan Nurs

grosse ile

mason

H Westcroft Gardens 21803 West River Rd., MI 18138 734-676-2444 www.westcroftgardens.com

Wildtype Nurs

grosse pointe

Milford Gardens H The Pond Place

Allemon’s Landscp Ctr Meldrum & Smith Nurs

grosse pointe woods H Wild Birds Unltd

hadley

metamora Gilling’s Nurs

milford monroe H The Flower Market

new baltimore H Meldrum Bros Nurs

H Le Fleur Décor 3442 Hadley Rd., MI 48440 586-495-4076 Find us on Facebook

new boston

Eastern Market

hartland

dexter

Deneweth’s Garden Ctr

new hudson

H Bloom! Gard Ctr 1885 Baker Rd., MI 48130 734-426-6600 www.bloom-gardens.com Dexter Mill

clarkston

H Fraleighs Landscape Nursery 8600 Jackson Rd., MI 48130 734-426-5067 www.fraleighs.com

Bordine’s Country Oaks Landscp I Lowrie’s Landscp H The Pond Source

H Guthrie Gardens 870 N. Lima Center Rd., MI 48130 734-475-8898 Open Fri/Sat, please call for hours

Van Thomme’s Greenhses

H Flushing Lawn & Garden Ctr 114 Terrace St., MI 48433 810-659-6241 www.unclelukes.com

howell

H Gorham & Sons Nurs H Grass Roots Nurs Mums the Word

Christian’s Greenhse H Van Atta’s Greenhse

H Milarch Nursery 28500 Haas Rd., MI 48165 248-437-2094 www.milarchnursery.com

highland

north branch

haslett

Colasanti’s Produce/Plant Fragments Highland Garden Ctr H One Stop Landscp Supp

H Campbell’s Greenhouses H Oldani Landscape Nurseries 2666 Tozer Rd., MI 48461 810-688-2363 www.oldanilandscapenurseries.com

northville Begonia Brothers Gardenviews H Willow Greenhouses

MichiganGardener.com | May 2015 | Michigan Gardener

novi Glenda’s Gard Ctr H Wild Birds Unltd

oak park Four Seasons Gard Ctr

oakland H Piechnik’s Garden Gate 1095 N. Rochester Rd., MI 48363 586-336-7200 www.cliogreenhouse.com

ortonville Country Oaks Landscp II H Wojo’s Greenhse 2570 Oakwood Rd., MI 48462 248-627-6498 www.wojos.com

owosso H Everlastings in Wildwood

oxford Candy Cane Xmas Trees Oxford Farm/Gard

plymouth Backyard Birds Graye’s Greenhse Lucas Nurs H Plymouth Nursery 9900 Plymouth Rd., MI 48170 734-453-5500 www.plymouthnursery.net Plymouth Rock & Supp Rock Shoppe Sparr’s Greenhse

pontiac Goldner Walsh Gard/Home H Telly’s at Goldner Walsh 559 Orchard Lake Rd., MI 48341 248-724-2300 www.tellys.com

ray Van’s Valley Greenhse

redford H Pinter Flowerland Seven Mi Gard Ctr

rochester Fogler’s Greenhse Sherwood Forest Gard Ctr

rochester hills H Auburn Oaks Garden Ctr 3820 W. Auburn Rd, MI 48309 248-852-2310 www.auburnoaksnursery.com Bordine’s H Haley Stone 3975 S. Rochester Rd., MI 48307 248-852-5511 www.haleystone.net H Shades of Green Nurs H Wild Birds Unltd

romulus

H Telly’s Greenhouse 4343 24 Mile, MI 48316 248-659-8555 www.tellys.com

south lyon Hollow Oak Farm Nurs Mike’s Garden Stone Depot Landscp Supp H Tuthill Farms

southfield 3 DDD’s Stand Eagle Landscp/Supp Lavin’s Flower Land Main’s Landscp Supp

trenton Carefree Lawn Ctr

troy H Telly’s Greenhouse 3301 John R Rd., MI 48083 248-689-8735 www.tellys.com H Uncle Luke’s Feed Store 6691 Livernois Rd., MI 48098 248-879-9147 www.unclelukes.com

Block’s Stand/Greenhse H Kurtzhals’ Farms H Schoedel’s Nurs

southgate

Dale’s Landscp Supp Stonescape Supp

H Ray Hunter Gard Ctr

walled lake

H Schwartz’s Greenhouse 30705 Sibley Rd., MI 48174 734-753-9269 www.schwartzgreenhouse.com

Greenhouse Growers Hall’s Nurs Soulliere Gard Ctr

roseville Dale’s Landscp Supp World Gardenland

royal oak Billings Lawn Equip H Button’s Rent-It 1126 S. Washington Ave., MI 48067 248-542-5835 www.buttonsrentit.com H English Gardens 4901 Coolidge Hwy, MI 48073 248-280-9500 www.EnglishGardens.com H Wild Birds Unltd

saginaw H Abele Grnhse & Garden Ctr 3500 Wadsworth Rd., MI 48601 989-752-5625 www.abelegreenhouse.com

saline H Nature’s Garden Ctr H Saline Flowerland

shelby twp Diegel Greenhses H Hessell’s Greenhse Maeder Plant Farm Potteryland

st clair shores

H Suburban Landscp Supp

warren

sterling heights

Beste’s Lawn/Patio Supp Garden Ctr Nurs H Young’s Garden Mart

Decor Statuette

washington

H Eckert’s Greenhouse 34075 Ryan Rd., MI 48310 586-979-2409 www.eckertsgreenhouse.com Flower Barn Nurs Prime Landscp Supp

stockbridge Gee Farms

Landscp Direct Miller’s Big Red Greenhse H Rocks ‘n’ Roots United Plant Ctr

waterford Breen’s Landscp Supp Hoffman Nurs H Merrittscape

sylvan lake H AguaFina Gardens International 2629 Orchard Lake Rd., MI 48320 248-738-0500 www.aguafina.com H Detroit Garden Works

taylor H Beautiful Ponds & Gardens 20379 Ecorse, MI 48180 313-383-8653 www.skippysstuff.com D&L Garden Ctr Massab Acres H Panetta’s Landscp Supp

tecumseh Mitchell’s Lawn/Landscp

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H Oakland County Market 2350 Pontiac Lake Rd., MI 48328 248-858-5495 www.DestinationOakland.com

wixom

east lansing

Angelo’s Landscp Supp Brainer’s Greenhse Milford Tree Farm

H MSU Horticultural Gardens W.J. Beal Botanical Gard

west bloomfield

ypsilanti

H Sunny Fields Botanical Park 5444 Welch Rd., MI 48022 810-387-2765 www.visitsunnyfields.org

H English Gardens 6370 Orchard Lake Rd., 48322 248-851-7506 www.EnglishGardens.com Planterra

westland H Barson’s Greenhse 6414 N. Merriman Rd., MI 48185 734-421-5959 www.barsons.com

utica

Bushel Stop Joe Randazzo’s Nurs Merlino’s Bushel Ctr Panetta’s Landscp

white lake H Bogie Lake Greenhouses 1525 Bogie Lake Rd., MI 48383 248-887-5101 www.bogielakegreenhouses.com

Coleman’s Farm Mkt Lucas Nurs Margolis Nurs Materials Unlimited Sell Farms & Greenhse

Gardens to Visit ann arbor H Matthaei Botanical Gardens/ Nichols Arboretum 1800 North Dixboro Rd., MI 48105 734-647-7600 www.mbgna.umich.edu

bloomfield hills H Cranbrook Gardens 380 Lone Pine Rd., MI 48303 248-645-3147 housegardens.cranbrook.edu

emmett

flint Applewood

grand rapids Frederik Meijer Gardens

grosse pointe shores Edsel & Eleanor Ford Hse

lansing Cooley Gardens

midland Dahlia Hill Dow Gardens

novi Tollgate Education Ctr

royal oak

dearborn

Detroit Zoo

H Mulligan’s Landscp & Gard Ctr Sunshine Plants

Arjay Miller Arboretum at Ford World HQ Henry Ford Estate

tipton

whitmore lake

detroit

H Alexander’s Greenhses

williamston Christian’s Greenhse

Anna S Whitcomb Conservtry

H Hidden Lake Gardens 6214 Monroe Rd. (M-50), MI 49287 517-431-2060 www.hiddenlakegardens.msu.edu

dryden Seven Ponds Nature Ctr

Classified Ads HELP WANTED - Sterling Hts. horticultural company looking for full/part-time gardeners with perennials/annuals experience. JOB: Residential maintenance throughout SE Michigan. Hourly wage dependent on experience. Send Resume: pat@agardenspace. com. Call: 586-991-6389 or 586-214-9852. HANDMADE WHIMSICAL TERRACOTTA Fairy Doors 248-684-4069. WANTED: GARDENERS. Part-time, flexible schedule. Weeding, planting, staking, deadheading. Must be able to lift 40 pounds. Work in private garden under direction of experienced head gardener. Telegraph and 14 Mile area. Emails please to: dgreen.gardens@ gmail.com. VANS VALLEY FARM MARKET & Greenhouse 586-752-6002. 66745 Van Dyke Rd. Romeo, Michigan. POISON IVY – We get rid of it! That’s all we do. Call us—we are experts at identifying and removing poison ivy from your property, from single homes to large parks. Licensed and Insured. Poison Ivy Control of Michigan. Call Toll-Free 844-IVY-GONE (489-4663). www. poisonivycontrolofmichigan.com.

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A Historic Family Farm Garden Michigan Gardener | May 2015 | MichiganGardener.com

Carol and Steve Riggs have instilled their gardens with a sense of place and history

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The centennial sign must be applied for and documented with proof to the Michigan Historical Commission that the property has been in the same family for 100 years. We were fortunate to have the original deed to the property and documentation that it was purchased by my great-great grandfather in 1863,â&#x20AC;? Riggs explains.

MichiganGardener.com | May 2015 | Michigan Gardener

The new garden potting building was the chicken coop when Carol was a little girl and holds fond memories of collecting eggs with her grandma. It is the perfect space to hang drying herbs, repot plants, and store garden tools and books.

Carol Riggs

An old outhouse is transformed into a useful potting shed adorned with morning glories, yarrow, loosestrife, daylilies, and foxglove. Opposite Page: This picture speaks a thousand words. It shows Carol and Steve Riggs’ vision for their garden. “The courtyard garden contains over 700 reclaimed bricks from the streets of Battle Creek that surround raised beds of larkspur, foxglove, petunias, zinnias, marigolds and delphiniums. This scene also captures both potting sheds (background), one a former outhouse and one a shed built by a friend to hold gardening tools. The courtyard says solitude and serenity surrounded by acres of nature,” notes Carol.

P H OTO S BY S A N D I E PA R R OT T unless otherwise noted

he property where Carol and Steve Riggs reside was originally purchased by Carol’s great-great-grandfather in 1863. It has remained in the family ever since and was a typical working farm with animals and crops until the 1970s. Carol recalls, “The outbuildings are original to the property, but the old farmhouse could not be salvaged. In 1999, my husband and I built a new home, a center chimney colonial, on the same site. We rent the farmland (50 acres) to Sandie an area farmer who plants soy beans Parrott and corn. We keep five acres mowed and landscaped.” Their lovely gardens began shortly after the home was finished. “My love of gardening originated with my

Steve and Carol Riggs stand beside larkspur flowers that are a most vibrant blue color. grandmother. She lived on this property until her death at age 88. My grandma had typical ‘farm gardens’ with rows of zinnias and marigolds as well as a large vegetable garden. I inherited my love of gardening by watching my grandma tend her gardens,” Carol remembers fondly. The Riggs’ garden style is heavily influenced by Colonial Williamsburg and Carol’s grandmother’s annual plant favorites. Carol says, “We have several gardens, most in raised beds similar to Colonial Williamsburg, which inspired our design. My husband and I laid over 3,500 reclaimed bricks from the streets of Battle Creek. We installed brick paths around the house and created a

courtyard garden in the back using the bricks and raised beds, all surrounded by a picket fence.” The view of this garden is best while sitting in a comfortable patio chair on their raised deck, under the shade of an umbrella and drinking a cold beverage. Carol continues describing her gardens, “We prefer heirloom flowers found in gardens years ago. Some favorites are zinnia, coneflower, delphinium, foxglove, black-eyed Susan, larkspur, hollyhock and phlox. I also enjoy several varieties of hydrangeas, with ‘Limelight’ and ‘Annabelle’ being my favorites. I accent the gardens with annuals for color throughout the summer. Our front gardens are also enclosed by a picket fence, but we chose pea gravel for paths instead of bricks. With all the rocks found and moved from our property, we built rock walls that separate the front and back side yard and encircle a huge pine tree. We also have a potting shed garden. This is a beautiful wild garden, surrounded by a rock border with a former outhouse turned into a potting shed as a focal point. You will find birdhouses, benches, early wooden wheelbarrows and goat carts scattered around the gardens for character and interest.” Carol spends several hours a day in the spring preparing her gardens for planting. She uses compost to amend the soil. She advises, “If you prepare well in the spring, you have less work to do in the hot weather.” In the summer she spends 4 to 6 hours a week weeding, pruning, watering, deadheading and fertilizing. Preparing for winter takes several weekends of pruning, removing plants and cleaning out beds. “It’s a labor of love and I start all over again in the spring,” Carol says with a smile. Healthy habits start with the raised beds. “Raised beds have been extremely easy to maintain. By containing my flowers I cut continued on next page

Michigan Gardener | May 2015 | MichiganGardener.com

For a recent garden tour, Carol hung mason jars filled with herbs and flowers from her gardens. “The jars were my grandma’s and it is a way to have her with us as people toured the places where she used to garden so many years ago,” Carol recalls affectionately.

Carol Riggs

‘State Fair’ zinnias along the backyard fence are Carol Riggs’ favorite flower.

This is one of Carol’s favorite places in summer. The porch was screened in two years ago for the beautiful view of the gardens while having meals at the table. Carol is an avid antique collector of early New England, especially utilitarian pieces, as evidenced by the blue dry sink in back and scrub top table. She started collecting brooms a few years ago and continues to add to her collection. continued from previous page

This garden contains thyme and lamb’s ear (Stachys byzantina), along with several other favorites. Carol dries the lamb’s ear for use in wreaths and arrangements and uses the thyme for cooking. She is especially fond of birdhouses and has several scattered throughout the gardens. They are usually occupied and bring life to the gardens with several different species.

down on weeding and overgrowth. I deadhead frequently, only water from below to avoid disease, and act quickly at the first sign of pests,” Carol notes. She also recommends that serious gardeners should educate themselves on pests, diseases and remedies. And not to plant what you cannot maintain. “Most gardeners love to plant gardens as an expression of their creativity, but keep your vision within reason, time- and energy-wise. You will burn out quickly and become frustrated if you take on more than you can manage,” she advises. Carol talks about garden challenges and learning experiences: “Learning plants’ bloom cycles, how close to plant, sizes and heights, and allowing aggressive plants to choke out other plants are all mistakes I made in my early years of gardening. We are fortunate to have excellent soil on our property, so the biggest challenge is saying ‘no’ to more gardens. I love to create and with five acres

it is easy to overbuild. I am fortunate to have watched my grandma garden on this property and to continue that tradition. My grandmother always planted zinnias from seed and enjoyed bouquets in the house throughout the summer—a tradition I still carry on. It is very gratifying to be gardening on land that has been in my family for over 150 years.” “The most rewarding part of gardening for me is creating beauty and sharing it with others. Gardening is truly one of my favorite things to do and I look forward to getting my hands in the dirt and seeing my garden come to life each year,” Carol enthuses. As she thinks about the future, Carol smiles, “We will continue to maintain and enjoy our gardens and to plan small additions. We’ve discussed enlarging the courtyard garden to encompass the potting shed garden. But we will see what next year brings!” Sandie Parrott is a Master Gardener who writes, blogs and gardens in her corner of Oakland County, Michigan.

through the lens Photographs from Michigan gardeners at home and traveling

Last summer, John Blair photographed his butterfly garden, which contains 83 different species of native plants and annuals and attracted 27 different species of butterflies.

A CALL FOR PHOTOS! 1. E-mail us 1 or 2 of your best garden photos. Be sure to send us the full-resolution file. 2. Tell us where the photo was taken. 3. Include a one-sentence caption describing the scene and the plants.

Linda captured this butterfly resting on a coneflower as the evening sunlight glowed through its wings.

Ann Britton shot this water lily at the Paleaku Peace Gardens on the Big Island of Hawaii.

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Michigan Gardener | May 2015 | MichiganGardener.com

About the speakers I do not credit statements in this article to the individual gardeners below, for three reasons: One, including the name with each quote takes up so much room I’d rather spend on more ideas! Two, they were in spontaneous agreement with each other on many points. None of them knew what I would ask, and none knew what the others said. So I feel that one can speak for many. Three, I give equal weight to all of their advice because all of them have been through the acid test not once but over decades. So despite the fact that one on the list below is a retired nurse self-taught in gardening and one a lettered director of a botanical garden, I present them as one voice. • David Baker • Versile & Judy Fraleigh • Robert (Bob) Grese • Ann Lyzenga • David Michener & Wil Strickland • Adrienne & Mark O’Brien • Anton (Tony) Reznicek • Darragh Weisman

Bob Grese

Change creeps up on us, and you may not even recognize it until one day when you look at old photos. The best of the best gardeners anticipate change and plan for it. In their gardens, favorite plants exit gracefully, rather than lingering in decline. The wooded plot you see here is Bob Grese’s front yard, which began as a sunny prairie front yard. Grese is not fighting the change but working with it by introducing more and more woodland species.

Change can come from any aspect of the environment, including insects. Viburnum leaf beetle, a new alien pest in the Great Lakes region, is mauling its host plants. If you notice viburnum leaves becoming holey, chances are good you’re seeing this beetle’s damage. Although the damage is not always fatal it does ruin a plant’s ornamental value. Then it’s up to the individual gardener to research what if anything might be done to prevent the damage, decide if that effort is worth the return in a specific garden, and make any necessary changes.

continued from back cover

Indispensable: Responding to change. Embracing it, learning from it. Amazing, we could grow zinnias here when we first started; hard to even remember. Nowhere here for them now! We must be fluid. It’s performance art. Some of the shade trees are now large enough to be changing what will grow here. And one big tree died, a hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana). It just up and died. We had angled the drive around it when we redid the garage. Now we’ve put in porous pavement. I’ve dispensed with the thought that every plant is sacred and can’t be moved or even thrown away. (When) we realized we had a leak, (we had to move the plants off the green roof to fix it). They’d formed almost a sod, so we could cut 18-inch squares. We laid them out on the driveway and just gave the driveway over to that while the construction was done. We didn’t lose any. I think disassembling and reassembling a garden is a good learning experience. We took 40 or 50 woody plants from our first garden and you couldn’t even tell they were gone. The plants that were left just flourished. I have a place where I plant things that are on their way out, where they can grow a little while longer because I think maybe, just maybe, they might finally prove themselves. Viburnums have been an issue the last few years with the viburnum leaf beetle around. I have downy arrowwood (Viburnum rafin-

Shrubs don’t need pruning but we often choose to prune them to make them fit our needs. The gardeners we interviewed have all cited “more pruning” as an important strategy. Here are two members of the same species, with the same growth habit. On the right, a mock orange (Philadelphus coronarius) that’s been allowed to grow as it will. On the left, one that is pruned hard every year to remove old wood. Ignore the fact that one is a single-flowered variety, the other double-flowered. Focus on the shrubs’ overall appearance and size. Take your pick, take our experts’ assurance that it pays to prune, then cut away! esquianum) that I just love and it was pretty much decimated but seems to have recovered. We’ll see. On the other hand, cranberrybush viburnum (Viburnum trilobum), it was hit even worse and I think I may have to take it out.

Indispensable: Compost in and on the soil We use compost in a big way. I’m married to making compost on a large scale. I bought a tractor and could work in 20-

to 40-yard piles on my last property. Here, not so much room but I’m working it out. It’s such a luxury, but if you have leaf mold, garden cuttings and horse manure (at horse farms, you could just drive in and they’d load you up), you can make compost of that. In 6 weeks you have black gold. I’ve dispensed with the making of compost. It’s such a big job, the turning of it, the storing. The City will take (yard waste) away and turn it into compost for me, so fine.

Indispensable: Woody plants I’m doing more with shrubs, with woody plants. There are a lot of shrubs I can use on my steep site. They look attractive and I can grow groundcover under them. It’s a good solution for difficult sites. People think of a garden as mostly herbaceous plants and I did too, once. Now I grow a mixed border. I’ve recently done a renovation aimed to help when I’m 80 so I can still be in my garden.

MichiganGardener.com | May 2015 | Michigan Gardener

David Baker

We start out right on new gardens by learning from gardeners who have been acclaimed for decades. Those experts say to plan your paths, patios and trees before trying to place other plants. Decide where you’ll sit and how you’ll go from there to the side gate or the work area, then plant around and along those structural elements. This path is one of David Baker’s, a gardener who especially likes “...paths where the destination is not apparent. It slows the journey and creates a sense of mystery and magic.”

David Baker

A shrub can be killed by a vine growing over it, but the two make a pretty pair if managed with a firm hand. David Baker is willing to do the pruning to grow clematis over shrubs in order to see a second bloom in a single space. He grows late-blooming clematis species that dominate in late summer but can be cut to the ground each spring to afford the shrub the first half of each season in the sun. Here, Baker’s ‘Madame Julia Correvon’ clematis blooms over a golden mock orange (Philadelphus coronarius ‘Aureus’) and the two provide a backdrop for some long-blooming gravel garden species: sea holly (Eryngium), gaura and agastache. I’ve planted shrubs, most of them very small, so I don’t have to spend much money. But also when I plant them small they don’t take up much room and all the other plants around can keep growing. Someday those shrubs will be grown and take up a lot of room without needing so much work as the other plants did.

Indispensable: Good bed preparation from the start On great soil, the plants just grow. What I ended up with was a rich, layered tapestry look after 20 years. I credit initial and ongoing soil preparation, and compost. We took down 10 spruce trees that had limbed themselves way up, broke the surface with a drain spade, put down maybe 3 inches

of compost and made a sunny perennial garden. Oh, how they grew.

Indispensable: Aiming to minimize watering Irrigation? No. But we do have stand pipes all around (so we can hook up a hose if we need to water). We don’t drag hoses anymore! I’ve put in a 3,000 gallon cistern and all runoff water from the house goes there (because city water is) so expensive. And runoff from the road goes over there, to my first deliberate rain garden.

Indispensable: Pruning We prune, oh yes! Whenever we feel like it. I do prune with much more vigor now. If you

Peonies are gorgeous but many can’t hold their heads up without help at bloom time. This is especially true of varieties with large double blooms such as this ‘Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt.’ If you want the look, accept the work, say our gardeners, and get it done early. Put the peony’s stakes in place in early spring and let the plant grow into them. don’t look back after you prune and say, “What have I done?!” then you haven’t done enough. So I cut it to the ground and started over... It’s always been my planting style: Overplanted, effusive, abundant. I can take out and prune, so things can start out sharing space. I cut that mock orange every year, cut a third to half the canes to the ground every year to keep it shaped in a nice spray up like that. Pruning is important. Some woody plants I cut back every year or so. In part to keep size under control but also because they seem to rejuvenate. I love to grow clematis up, over and through shrubs. There are so many group 3 clematis you can prune to the ground and that contribute so much, a ton of interest. A lot of what

you do in gardens is you manage competition. If the shrub is big and the clematis small you have to cut the shrub and vice versa.

Indispensable: Deal with the views into and out of the garden It’s what makes the garden feel bigger, to not see what you don’t want to see and not be seen when you don’t want to be seen. I shocked the neighbors when I right away took out several large trees of heaven, all the buckthorn and Norway maples. It opened up a lot. Now I’ve got some strategically placed structures and a perimeter planting of Green Giant and Spring Grove arborvitae. continued on next page

Michigan Gardener | May 2015 | MichiganGardener.com

continued from previous page

Indispensable: Plants that look good after bloom

Indispensable: Good structural framework of hardscape and trees

(My plants have to) hold their place (after bloom), unless they go completely dormant which can allow another plant to share that space. You won’t find a lot of columbine in my sunny garden, for instance. Their foliage looked awful after bloom. As another example I used to grow lots of hardy roses but even these are now mostly gone. If a plant gets leaf diseases or the look just doesn’t hold up, I don’t want them. One of my absolute favorites is lady’s mantle. I just love it. It looks good all summer, and has the beautiful water droplets on it. Yes, I do deadhead it (because otherwise) it does come up from seed all over.

Indispensable? Structural framework... any and all hardscape and the trees. (When we first moved here) I ripped so much out, like a full-sized burning bush that was planted about 18 inches from the house foundation. An older neighbor came by and reprimanded me. How could I do that, it was a landmark plant. I had sympathy for her, but... We took out a beautiful beech tree that was planted about 10 feet from the front wall. It dropped leaves all winter, into the gutters. My husband would go out every two weeks or so to clean them out and one time when it was sleeting and awful out I looked at him up there and thought, “Yes, it’s a beautiful tree but if he’s a quadriplegic after falling from there, what use is that beauty?”

Indispensable: Practical, well-maintained paths

Indispensable: A site plan... including a work area!

Every garden I’ve made is organized around a path as a central design feature. It creates a journey for the visitor. I said, “I’d like a path that starts here and goes all the way across” and there it is. Doesn’t it just do the trick to move your eye right through the garden?! If you have a neat, good-looking path you can get away with a multitude of other sins. Paths shall never be less than a wheelbarrow wide, never ever.

The site plan is how the land will be used: Where the sitting area will be, where the paths are, etc. Every garden must have a well thoughtout, large enough work area.

Indispensable: April and October work Do all you can in fall because in spring it’s always so busy the next year. It’s always something, every “next year”! Spring and fall are the really important times. The biggest time is at clean-up, especially in April and October. I try to get out and do everything I can ahead of time. Staking (the peonies!) and making sure the weeds are out.

Indispensable: Planting for early and late I am looking for stuff that blooms early and makes a show early in the season. Not just early but also late in the season. I’m looking to shorten the winter. Typically the early and late flowers are white (or) yellow—that has to do with the pollinating fauna—I’m looking for the showy reds, brighter colors then. “Plant 2 plants that bloom after June 15 for every one you have that blooms before.” That’s advice from a Christopher Lloyd article that really got me going. Hellebores are a must. And perennial geraniums, lots of species—for every garden setting, long bloom in varied colors, attractive foliage, and the ability to knit together combinations. I try to have something in bloom all the time. One year when it was very mild I had snowdrops in bloom on December 29. That same year there were Japanese anemones still blooming December 10, it was that mild. So I had only 19 days without bloom that year.

David Baker

Lady’s mantle (Alchemilla mollis) has foliage that looks good almost year-round, and an endearing way of holding rain water. It is a bit unkempt in late June when seed pods ripen, leading to its one bad habit: seeding around. Adrienne O’Brien forgives it the bad habit and escapes the effect by deadheading. She says its worth the effort for this favorite plant.

Lenten rose (Helleborus x orientalis) and all its hellebore relatives top most of our veterans’ must-have lists on account of their early flower color—even winter bloom—and the plants’ good looks afterward. Here is the Christmas rose, H. niger “Josef Lemper,’ which can shine if early winter is mild, providing color for a month, peaking in late December.

White-blooming Canada anemone (Anemone canadensis, in the background) is native through most of northern North America, and spreads very readily in a woodland environment. Here it is working with another aggressive native, lilac cranesbill (Geranium maculatum), to exclude all other plants on a cultivated woods edge. Our experts warn, don’t plant such an aggressive running species unless you really want it to cover ground.

Great gardeners make tough decisions over time. Take Chocolate Joe Pye (Eupatorium rugosum ‘Chocolate’), a purple leaf form of an October-blooming, Great Lakes native, woods-edge plant. What a great plant to continue the bloom into late October. Yet it has a downside that puts it on the hit list of at least one of our gardeners: It spreads far and wide by seed and the seedlings lose the handsome purple, reverting to green-leafed form.

Indispensable: Plants from friends I get my plants from a variety of sources... but the best one, the one I especially like, is from friends who garden. This one (is) from an 89-year-old friend, a real special mother figure for me. I think of the people who gave me plants when I see the plants.

Indispensable: Plants to suit private objectives The spring show (from our native woodland flora) is fantastic but one of the most interesting aspects is that the closest relatives of many of these plants aren’t from the east and west of this continent but from the other side of the world. So I’m interested in seeing what our native plants’ close relatives in China are, how they differ, why they developed those differences. (I plant in part) for my entomologist husband, so he can photograph. I put mountain mint here because it’s kind of contained. I love it and the insects (wasps and bees) love it, so I had to keep it. But I had to take it out over there; it was just spreading all over.

Dispensed with: Invasive plants I do regret some earlier plant selections. They were mostly things I thought would work in a small garden, but were too big or aggressive. Woodland sunflower comes to mind. So aggressive. The one I most regret is Canada anemone. We’ll take these (buckthorns) out now and that will be the LAST of them! (Even) some of the natives are pretty invasive. I had to start getting rid of Chocolate Joe Pye weed. Good foliage color and nice late bloom, but it seeds all over and the seedlings come up with plain green leaves. People typically want something that

With experience, gardeners have bloom and interest not only in the prime growing season but all year. They build winter interest not only with evergreens but with deliberately undisturbed stems on sturdy, herbaceous plants. Here, Adrienne and Mark O’Brien’s front garden has standout color into December: (left to right) cutleaf coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata), the coppery fall color of Siberian iris (Iris sibirica), butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii), threadleaf bluestar (Amsonia hubrichtii) in its golden fall phase, and the dark pods of purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea).

MichiganGardener.com | May 2015 | Michigan Gardener

an edge and I liked the other things more.

Likely to be missed by uninitiated: Microclimates

Tony Reznicek

Long-time gardeners often become collectors, and it’s pretty certain that visitors will miss some plants that are not blooming on tour day, or are just so tiny, like this draba (Draba bryoides) in Tony Reznicek’s alpine garden—the whole tuft barely three inches across.

There will never be complete agreement among gardeners concerning the definition of a weed. For some, scarlet campion (Lychnis coronaria) is an undesirable, a wanton selfsower. Others say, “That’s okay—let its seedlings fill space for me until I find other uses for that bit of garden. They’re easy to pull!” the mulch bulging, I take that off. I don’t mulch, except when a bed’s new. We leave the leaves. In spring we take out what’s getting in the way and pile those over there, but a lot of them just stay where they fall.

Dispensed with: Any universal ban on weeds

Tony Reznicek

When you see unusual plants you can bet the gardener is taking unusual steps to grow them. That can mean tending them with particular care, finding the perfect microenvironment for them, or even creating that environment for them, as Tony Reznicek has done with this crevice garden that provides the perfect drainage needed by so many alpine species. blooms all summer, smothers weeds, and grows anywhere; by definition those are mostly aggressive invasives. I’m interested in educating gardeners that it’s important to grow what does need work, what does require cultivation. I think there’s a much better chance in educating people that way than circling the wagons and outlawing various plants.

Dispensed with: Annual, big additions of bark mulch I don’t mulch except a new bed, and on bed edges. I don’t mulch, except maybe the edge. Let other plants fill in. I leave the leaves, and just rake off the excess in spring. We use compost as mulch, instead. Shredded bark’s not as good, and so expensive. I figure if you’re looking at mulch, there’s room for a plant there.

Dispensed with: Labeling plants I no longer feel I have to have every plant’s name on the tip of my tongue. I know how to look them up! I like that Rudbeckia-something-something there. (Then, a bit later) Rudbeckia-laciniata-something! See, I don’t feel I have to know every plant at the drop of a hat. I used to label everything. Now the labels have gone the way of the leaf pile. I don’t label plants. It detracts from the effect of the garden and it’s too much work. My gardens are not about plant labels or names, they are about a total effect.

Dispensed with: Raking everything up in the fall I leave an enormous amount of leaf debris on all winter and then pull it off in spring to compost further. I realize I may be incurring more losses but, oh well. In spring where I see

I have a suite of preferred weeds, weeds I tolerate and let grow until they get too big because they fill the space. There’s a false nettle (Boehmeria) I use that way, looks like stinging nettle but is not. I also use the native asters that way. I do have self-sowers, silene and campion there, for instance. Can’t get rid of everything invasive, or don’t need to. We have a ton of snowdrops and Virginia bluebells... and scilla. It was here before we bought the house. I kind of tried to get rid of it but you know with scilla, that’s not likely.

Dispensed with: Thinking I could ever get it all done There’s always more than I can get to. I broke my hip 2 years ago and got behind, just catching up now, so I know what’s important.

Dispensed with: Stuffing every spot For the tour coming up I did put in some new things because there were bare spots and I thought people would wonder. But there are bare spots in a garden, you know! I planted rather heavily this year because of the tour next year. I used plugs. And we have the benefit of native plants big enough to lift and divide.

Dispensed with: Lawn I mean, what is lawn? A monoculture. I just wasn’t interested in spending time or money on it to make it look good. The lawn went away not because I don’t like lawn but because other things would work as

People will not see the microclimates that exist in the garden and how plants were selected for them. I love rhododendrons. You have to look for the protected places, use Holly Tone, and keep them watered, they don’t like it dry! They’ll see the different beds, the crevice garden and so on, and the plants I’ve put in them—but they won’t see why... (The gaura and lavender and other species that are otherwise challenging in this area will be blooming all season.) ...they are things that need really sharp drainage to do that well. We made that bed of 18 inches of sharp sand plus some compost. They won’t realize that all the plants here are the ones that have just made it nearly on their own. It’s an old lady’s garden now, I don’t plant so much any more as I take care of what’s decided it likes it here.

Likely to be missed by uninitiated: Importance of plant combinations (They’ll miss) how different colors and textures work together. I use a lot of leaf color and texture. People most overlook the little things. I like little plants, really little plants. The plants not then blooming: Sweet William, foxglove, other things I plant in extravagant numbers (but at tour time they’ll be in their) awful phase. I’m willing to tolerate quite a lot of awful for the sake of the good phase. Our woodland path. There are lots of wildflowers out there but those will be mostly done by the tour and people won’t go out there, won’t experience the trees. I never cease to be amazed by these trees. You just can’t imagine what effect these trees have. Janet Macunovich is a professional gardener and author of the books “Designing Your Gardens and Landscape” and “Caring for Perennials.” Read more from Janet on her website www.gardenatoz.com.

Visit others’ gardens to learn Here’s another thought expressed by almost every gardener on our list: I’m always learning. I go out and look whenever I can for what looks good in other people’s gardens when mine is in a lull. Do yourself a favor and also support local garden clubs’ efforts: Go on garden walks this year. The gardeners I visited to gather these ideas are on the 25th Annual Ann Arbor Garden Walk on Saturday and Sunday, June 13 and 14, 2015, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. For more information, go to www.annarborfarmandgarden.org.

Michigan Gardener | May 2015 | MichiganGardener.com

for the birds The Baltimore oriole This bird sings from the treetops and is a herald of spring in Michigan

n search of an adequate food supply to raise a family, thousands of Baltimore orioles will migrate from Central America to Michigan this spring. What does it take to attract these vibrantly plumaged orange and black birds to our yards? When the male arrives, he is in search of a territory that will provide the basics: food, water, shelter, and places to raise young— those elements allow him to carry on his genetics, the sole purpose of migration. Undoubtedly, you will hear orioles before you see them. The male Baltimore oriole’s song consists of a short series of paired notes, repeated 2 to 7 times, lasting 1 to 2 seconds. The pure, liquid, flutelike sounds have a full, rich tone. Once you accustom yourself to its song, you will be able to search for them visually.

within plant galls. Larger caterpillars may be a challenge for some birds. The oriole has many strategies for eating them once they are too large to consume by swallowing whole. The birds’ beak is quite pointed and is used to slice through the exterior of a caterpillar, allowing the bird to eat the nutritional insides. Orioles often have a feeding limb, a favored place to feed, as can be attested to by the number of dried caterpillar skins that are accumulated on the branch. Orioles also eat other insects, including beetles, crickets, grasshoppers, moths, and flies, as well as non-insects like spiders, snails, and other small invertebrates. Baltimore orioles sometimes use their slender beaks to feed in an unusual way, called “gaping.” They stab the closed bill into soft fruits, and then open their mouths to cut a juicy swath from which they drink with Habitat and diet their brushy-tipped tongues. Fruits Orioles can be found in open that are especially attractive to oriwoodlands, woodland edges, riparoles are those which are dark in ian woodlands and in our shade color. A variety of these plants can trees in suburban neighborhoods. offer the high lipid fat that the birds Rosann Kovalcik They do not prefer deep forests. need for fall migration: dogwoods, Males sing from exposed perches chokeberry, elderberry, and viburto warn other males of proclaimed territory. nums. Native plants host native caterpillars Both the male and female will land on the in abundance and therefore are the perfect tallest point of a tree before slipping into the choice when planning your bird-friendly yard. dense canopy to begin foraging for insects, inFeeders cluding the caterpillars that emerge to eat the For a closer look at orioles, you can place unfurling new growth on trees. Oak trees in feeders in your yard that offer the same types particular offer more diversity of caterpillars of foods that orioles find in the wild. Dark than any other tree in southeastern Michigan. grape jelly can be offered in plastic and glass Orioles eat many pest species, including tent dishes, oranges can be placed on pronged caterpillars, gypsy moth caterpillars, fall webfeeders, and nectar feeders will round out the worms, spiny elm caterpillars, and the larvae choices. Mealworms are another great food source to place out for orioles—they will take them back to their young as well as bring the young to the feeders once they are fledged. Your oriole feeding station will be most successful if it is not near other feeding stations. It should be set up the first week of May to attract the abundance of orioles that migrate at that time. Once spring migration is over, many of the orioles that visited your feeders will continue north to pre-established breeding areas, typically by the end of May. The local breeding pair near your home can be nervous at feeders once they are in nest-building mode.

Nest building John Graffius

For a closer look at orioles, place feeders in your yard that provide the same types of foods that orioles find in the wild. Offer dark grape jelly and place oranges on pronged feeders.

Female orioles are responsible for the building of the nest that will hold their eggs and resultant young, usually four in number. Long strips of plant material are the backbone of their nest. Most frequently they use milkweed and dogbane, clipping the plant at

John Graffius

Male Baltimore orioles are bright orange with a black head. Both males and females land on the tallest point of a tree before slipping into the dense canopy to begin feeding on insects. the base just above where they are holding it firmly in their feet. Pulling up, they create strips that are then flown to the nest site and tied in place. Leave last years’ milkweed and dogbane standing into the spring so that they can be utilized by these birds, or clip it and add it to your nesting material basket. Orioles need trees with hanging limbs and will use elms, maples, willows, poplars and oaks for nesting. Placed at the tip of branches, the sock-like structure has the advantage of being difficult for predators to reach. The nest is a work of art—a suspended pouch woven as two separate walls. The female uses a shuttling motion to create the walls and then stitches the two halves together. The lining may consist of dandelion fluff, downy material from willows and poplars, and short strips of grape bark. Natural materials can be put into a suet basket and placed where you can watch. Short strips of natural fibers, human and pet hair, and string will all be used by orioles. Fishing line and dryer lint are two materials to avoid. The fishing line is too thin and can easily entangle the bird. Dryer lint has materials that will hold moisture and would cool eggs and babies instead

of keeping them warm as natural materials would. The nest is built by the female only over a period of about eight days.

Young hatchlings Males keep a watchful eye on the female as she works, mating with her when she allows. Incubation is done by the female entirely, lasting a period of 12 to 14 days. Both parents feed the young for the next two weeks, during which time the naked hatchlings develop into fully feathered, adult-sized birds. Now it is the males turn to take over, as the young follow him for lessons on where to look for food. The female spends her time eating to regain the weight she lost and preparing herself for fall migration. Orioles leave early, back to their southerly home—our yards are quieter without their songs as early as the end of August. Well worth the effort to attract, orioles make our time in the garden a special time indeed! Rosann Kovalcik is a Certified Birdfeeding Specialist and the owner of Wild Birds Unlimited in Grosse Pointe Woods, MI (www.wbu.com/ grossepointewoods).

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| May 2015 | MichiganGardener.com

janet's journal

The best of the best advice Great gardeners share their well-earned wisdom On a garden tour, I look for beautiful plants and clever use of space. More important, my eye is always peeled for clues to each gardener’s particular insights and techniques, since how one makes a garden is even more important than how it looks. Many important tips have come to me from special people whose efforts have earned their garden a place on a tour. It’s not that garden tour gardeners are the only good growers around. However, they’ve grown a garden against a deadline, had a reason to pull out all the stops and then to stand entirely still for a day or two and take it Janet Macunovich all in. The simple fact of that time to review makes their perspective unique, since most gardeners can’t even manage to sit still for a few minutes on a bench in their own garden. In addition, the tour gardeners have had feedback from hundreds of critics. They’re in a good place to say what worked or didn’t, given x resources and y amount of time. So when I heard a garden club in my area was planning their next garden walk to feature the most acclaimed gardens from the club’s 25-year history of these events, I thought, “That’s a group of people I’d love to talk to!” What a feat, to keep a garden of that caliber for 10, 20 or 30 years, through all that life throws at you. So I asked each gardener on that “best of” tour three questions: 1) Over all these years of growth and change and public scrutiny, what plants, materials or techniques have proven indispensable? 2) What have you dispensed with along the way that you once thought would always be with you or always be your way? 3) When people walk through your garden,

When you visit a beautiful garden and have the chance to talk to the host, don’t ask, “What’s that plant?” Most tour hosts become weary—and hoarse!—answering that question. Instead, take a picture such as this, then ask around later to learn that the large leaves belong to a rodgersia (Rodgersia aesculifolia), the yellow flowers to golden bleeding heart (Corydalis lutea), the purple bloom to Serbian bellflower (Campanula poscharskyana). Use your time with a great garden’s owner to ask about things those folks love to discuss, such as the essential aspects of a garden included in this article. what are they likely to miss if they are not given a heads-up? In this article, I have summarized what they told me, using the gardeners’ own examples and with the most-cited advice first in

each of the three lists. May it help you grow the garden of your dreams, whether it will be viewed by just a few or a few hundred! continued on page 54

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