Tag Archives: Flowers

Horticulture Report: Cobaea scandens

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Plant Name: Cobaea sandenscobaea-scandens
Common Name:  Cup & Saucer Vine
Family: Polemoniaceae
Plant type:  Sub-tropical Vine  (annual below zone 9)
Height:   10-25 feet
Bloom Time: Seasonal (In a greenhouse it flowers year round)
Flower Color: Violet or White
Exposure:  Full Sun
Soil Requirements: Rich, moist, good drainage
Water Needs: Medium
Attributes: Showy Bell Flowers, Fragrant, Attracts Hummingbirds & Butterflies
Note: Mexico native, flowers last 4 days, Circa 1828 ~ RHS Award of Garden Merit
Start seeds indoors 8-10 weeks before last frost.
Uses: Garden wall, Fence and Trellis plant, Container plant with adequate support,
USDA Zone: 9-11

Check your local nurseries and garden center for seeds and/or plants.

Available online at:

Annie’s Annuals http://www.anniesannuals.com/plants/view/?id=269

Select Seeds Seeds & Plants : http://www.selectseeds.com/heirloom-ines/cup_and_saucer_vine_plants.aspx

Seeds: J.L. Hudson, Seedsman http://www.jlhudsonseeds.net/SeedlistCN-CZ.htm

Horticulture Report: Yellow-wax Bells

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Plant Name: Kirengeshoma palmatayellow-wax-bells
Common Name:  Yellow-wax Bells
Plant type:  Herbaceous perennial
Height:   3 -4.5 ft
Bloom Time: Late Summer
Flower Color: Yellow -Bell shaped
Exposure:  Full to Part Shade
Soil Requirements: Humus rich acidic, well-drained soils
Water Needs:  Regular: keep moist
Attributes:  Large Maple-shaped leaves, Clusters of yellow flowers, Pearl-sized buds, Dainty nodding bells, Showy fruit, Year-round interest
Note: Highly prized
Uses:   Mass plantings, Woodland Gardens, Shade Gardens,  Specimen plant, Winter Interest
Native to: Mountainous regions of Japan to Korea
USDA Hardiness Zone: 5-8

Butterfly Gardens

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256px-danaus_plexippus-monarch

Monarch Butterfly

Robin McKenzie, Master Gardener and principal designer for Rockbird Gardens, gave an outstanding presentation on Monday at the Ashland Garden Club meeting. Robin specializes in creating sustainable backyard ecosystems for wildlife, and for people. Monday she talked about “Planning and Growing a Butterfly Garden”,  her talking points were:

• Research the items you need to attract butterflies
• Find a sunny garden location. ( 6-8 hrs of sun)
• Create a garden plan for your yard: flowerbeds, raised beds, and/or containers
• Know the timeline needed to create a garden
• Prepare the soil for your plants, add amendments, make sure you have good drainage
• Install borders and hardscape before you plant (*see mud-puddle below)
• Decide your plant choices: purchase and/or grow your plants, then plant according to their specific directions, don’t crowd your plants!

mud-puddle-for-butterflies

Butterfly Puddle

*Butterflies need water, so make them a mud puddle!
Use a shallow dish such as a plastic or terracotta plant saucer in a sunny area of your garden that is protected from the wind. Fill the bottom of the pan with sand, gravel, and a few small stones, add water to the dampen sand.

Host plants:
Attract more butterflies by having plants for larval food in your yard, for instance:

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Milkweed

Milkweed for Monarchs
Tarragon for Swallowtails
Angelica for Anise Swallowtails
Violas for Great Spangled Great Spangled Fritillary
Note: Be prepared for heavy munching on these host plants, these plants are  caterpillar food!

See list of host plants here:
http://nababutterfly.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/southwestern-Oregon-butterfly-garden-guide.pdf

And here….http://extension.oregonstate.edu/4hwildlifestewards/pdfs/butterfly.pdf

How to become a Certified monarch Butterfly Station:  www.monarchwatch.org

Lecture was by Robin McKenzie www.rockbirdgardens.com
Monarch Butterfly image by Simon Koopmann‎ on Wikimedia Commons
Submitted by: Carlotta Lucas

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Horticulture Report: Edgeworthia chrysantha

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Plant Name: Edgeworthia  chrysantha

edgeworthia_chrysantha-2014

Edgeworthia chrysantha Akebono photo courtesy of Roozitaa & Wikimedia

Cultivar: Akebono
Common Name:  Paperbush
Plant type: Deciduous Shrub
Height:   5’ – 6’
Bloom Time: February – March
Flower Color:  Red/Orange
Exposure:  Part Shade or Shade
Soil Requirements: Moisture-retentive, Fertile Loamy Soil
Water Needs: Medium
Attributes: Winter Interest, Tubular Fragrant Flowers borne on bare stems,
Silky Silver Buds
Note: Related to Daphnes, Inner bark used in China to make quality papers. Winter hardy to below 0 degrees F.
Uses: Woodland gardens, Shady borders, Collector’s Specimen Planting, Ornamental, Used to make paper.
USDA Zone: 7b -10b

Other Varieties:
*Edgeworthia chrysantha Snow Cream Papberbush – Winter hardy  USDA Zones 7b-10bchrysantha_paperbark

*Edgeworthia papyrifera  Nanjing Gold Paperbush –  USDA Zones 8-10

2017 Seed Sorting

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The Ashland Garden Club’s Heirloom Gardeners met at North Mountain Park to sort, clean, and package seeds for Ashland Parks & Recreation’s annual seed swap to be held on February 2nd from 7-8 PM at North Mountain Park’s Nature Center. The seed swap is free and open to all ages.