Category Archives: Flowers

Winter Flowers

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Narcissus papyraceus, one of a few species known as “Paperwhites,” is a perennial bulbous plant native to the Mediterranean region (USDA zones 9-10). Paperwhites produce white flowers in bunches which are strongly fragrant and they are easy to force to bloom indoors for winter flowers.

Paperwhites only need three inches of room for their roots to grow, so shallow containers like glass vases and ceramic bowls are ideal containers.  It’s fun to scout around antique stores, second hand stores and garage sales for unusual planting containers to display these fragrant flowers indoors.  They make wonderful gifts, too.

The planting medium only needs to provide support for the plants and be suitable for the roots to grow through.  And because Paperwhites are usually discarded after flowering  the planting medium doesn’t need to supply any nutrients, so Paperwhites can be planted in soil, pebbles, tumbled beach glass, glass marbles or small gravel.

Plant Paperwhites bulbs with the top inch above the soil/pebble “soil” line. For a full display plant bulbs close together, almost touching. If planted in soil add just enough water to moisten the soil. If planted in pebbles, rocks or marbles, add enough water to just cover the bulbs bases. The goal here is to have the very bottom of the bulbs touching the water to encourage root growth, but not covering the entire bulb which can cause it to rot. Place the container in a sunny bright location and in a week or two roots will appear, after which the buds and blooms develop quickly. It is fun to watch the daily progress.

Paperwhites

Paperwhites

My friend gave me this large basket she was taking to Goodwill, so I lined it with a plastic trash bag, filled it with potting soil and planted 20 Paperwhites in it the first week of December.

Carlotta Lucas

Mums the word!

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There are over 5,00 varies of mums, but only common garden varieties are usually found at local nurseries. Check online if you are looking for unusual ones, or ask your local nurseryman if they can order a specific variety for you.

Guide to chrysantheMUMS:
  • Select mums that match your hardiness zone. Mums are available in both tender and hardy perennials.
  • Plant mums in full sun, they need at least 6 hours daily.
  • Mums like well draining soil. Boost soil with compost and fertilize mums every 4-6 weeks with a water-soluble fertilizer during the growing season.

  • Never let mums wilt! Water often and do not let them dry out.
  • Watch for pest,  and treat plants with insecticidal soap, if needed.
  • Pinch spent blooms to encourage more blossoms and to keep plant bushy.
  • Mums bloom at different times during the season; there are early, mid, and late blooming varieties. Fall mums will continue blooming until a hard freeze.

~Carlotta

Southern Oregon Wildflowers

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Here are a few pictures of the many wildflowers currently (June 24, 2012)  blooming roadside by Fish Lake( Hwy 37), Howard Prairie Lake, Hyatt Lake and Little Hyatt Lake.

Gilia capitata (Blue Field Gilia)
Camassia quamash (Common Camas)
Castilleja hispida ( Short-lobed Indian Paintbrush)
Dicentra formosa (Bleeding Hearts)
Penstemon laetus ( Mountian Blue Penstemon)
Zigadenus venenosus (Meadow Death Camas)
Tragopogon dubius (Goatsbeard)
Calochortus tolmiei    (Tolmie’s Pussy Ears)
Allium siskiyouense (Siskiyou Onion)
 Corallorrhiza mertensiana(Western Coral-Root Orchid)
Balsamorhiza deltoidea (Northwest Balsamroot)

Photo by: Carlotta Lucas
(all rights reserved)

Crocuses & Daffodils on Display

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There is a spectacular display of crocuses and daffodils at 692 “B” Street which is worth walking by. The crocuses are probably at or just past their peak, but the daffodils are only just getting started. This garden was Garden of the Month back in April 2005 and they always has a wonderful display.

Ruth Sloan
G.O.M. Chair

Horticulture Report: February 2011

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Deer Proof Plants: The following are summaries of perennials from the book:
50 Beautiful Deer-Resistant Plants: Thee Prettiest Annuals,
Perennials, bulbs and shrubs that Deer Don’t Eat
by Ruth Clausen
(May 30, 2011)

Perennials Part 1 –AZURE MONKSHOOD (Aconitum carmichaelii)

All parts of this plant especially the roots are poisonous. Monkshhood grow 2 to 3 feet tall and have deeply cut leaves and dark blue spikes of flowers. It grows in the sun or light shade in zones 3-7 and the tuberous roots can be divided in the fall. Be very careful not to get the sap on your skin. This plant is also known as wolfs bane, tiger bane and leopard’s bane.

BIGROOT CRANESBILL GERANIUM (Geranium macrorrhizum)

This plant is a low maintenance ground cover covered with 1-2 inch flowers.The leaves are a light fuzzy light green.It has a scent when any part of the plant is bruised which the deer hate but which in Europe is used in skin care products.

BLUE FALSE INDIGO (Baptisia australis)
Blue false indigo is drought tolerant and almost totally pest and disease free.Plant it in a sunny area in well drained not too rich soil.It grows 3-4 feet tall in zones 3-9.It is a good mixture with yarrow or salvias butterfly bush and Russian sage The seeds are poisonous to deer.

CUSHION SPURGE (euphorbia polychroma) The genus Euphorbia has some 2,000 or more plants all of which are more or less avoided by deer.When working around Euphorbias wear long sleeves and gloves and avoid contact with the skin as it can cause dermatitis. Do not get sap in the eyes. Cushion Spurge makes neat rounded mounds of light green leafy stems topped in the spring by chartreuse flowers which are surrounded byyellow bracts.Plant it in light shade and cut back after flowering.It tolerates drought conditions very well.

FRINGED BLEEDING HEART (Dicentra eximia) The fringed bleeding heartis similar to the common bleeding heart but the plants are lower growing and bloom repeatedly through the season.Their fernlike foliage remains good-looking through hot days.It likes shady gardens and does well with astilbes, wild geraniums and fernsespecially Japanese painted fern.They are completely deer resistant due to their poisonous sap.

ASTILBE (Astilbe arendsii) Astilbes are wonderful when massed together and grown in part shade moist soil which is high in humus.Deer apparently don not like the fern like texture of astilbe leaves.The colors range from white to red to all shades of pink.They make good, long lasting flowers {cut when half open) for arrangements.After the flowers have faded on the plantyou can let them stay on to provide decorative value.

HYBRID SAGE Salvia sylvestris) Sages include both ornamental as well as culinary herbs} Butterflies and hummingbirds are attracted to the flowers whereas deer are repelled by their smell. Sage is best grown in well-drained soil in full sun. ‘May Night’ Sage which has spikes of violet blue flowers was named the Perennial Plant in 1997.

JAPANESE SPURGE (Pachysandra terminalis) Japanese Spurge is a ground cover just called Pachysandra.As a ground cover plant it 6-12 inches apart in light or full shade in humus rich, well drained but moist soil.It has no equal as a ground cover in full shade under tall trees (even black walnut)However do not plant spring bulbs with it as it is a greedy plant.

By Mary Ann Wallace and Gena Goddard