Tag Archives: plants

April 2023- AGC Garden of the Month

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344 Helman Street

While all the rain and snow we’ve enjoyed this winter bring hope of a fabulous spring and along with it fabulous gardens, it does mean that the season of renewal is running a little late this year.  Last year at this time, the garden at 344 Helman Street—home to Suzan and Marshall Malden—was blooming gloriously and lush with plants ready to burst forth.  It’s obviously poised to do that again, but perhaps a little later than usual.  This is the Ashland Garden Club’s Garden of the Month for April 2023

When the Maldens purchased the property in 2001 the cottage was smaller, and both front and back yards were little more than lawns with a few trees, including the wonderful mulberry.  After completing a beautiful sunny addition to the house in 2006, Suzan set about establishing lovely gardens with help and advice from family friend Dave Mizerak.  The bones of that design remain much the same, but Suzan has fun adding and subtracting plants as conditions change over the years or as enthusiasm strikes her.

Lilacs and grapevines at the perimeter contribute to a feeling of privacy in back.  A delightful water fountain is visible from most spots around the yard as well as from rooms at the back of the house.  Among Suzan’s favorite plants are peonies, rhododendrons, daphne, and azaleas.  Fig trees in back not only produce delicious fruit but are gorgeous sculptural plants.  The Japanese maple in front is stunning all year.

A tall flag pole in back features an ever-changing display of flags, some to honor countries where the Maldens have lived (such as Sweden and Norway), some to honor countries of origin for visitors, and some to honor events

Suzan does almost all of the gardening herself, averaging a half-hour to an hour a day in the busiest seasons, with occasional help from Nathanael Brees on the biggest projects.  She sees the garden as her sanctuary and gardening brings her great joy.  As she says, “life is beautiful in the garden.”

Organic & Native: What, Why & How

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January 2023 Presentation by:  Kristina Lefever, AGC Member & President Pollinator Project Rogue Valley

https://www.pollinatorprojectroguevalley.org/

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Horticulture Report: Polygala fruticosa

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Plant Name:  Polygala fruticosa
Common name: Dwarf Sweet-Pea Bush
Plant type: Evergreen Shrub
Height: 3 feet
Spread:   3 feet
Bloom Time:  Spring-Summer
Flower Color: Vibrant, purple-magenta, pea-like flowers
Sun Exposure:Full Sun to Part Sun (4-6 hours)
Soil Requirements: Well-drained, humus-rich soil
Water Needs: Moderate
Attributes:   Green-Gray Foliage, Attracts Pollinators, Nectar-rich flowers
Firewise:  Status unknown
Note:  Only Hardy above 20 o, NOT a perennial in areas where temperatures drops below 20o, but in Zone 8A it will typically recover.
Uses:  Flowers for Cutting, Long Bloom Season, Repeat Flowering, Showy Flowers, Container Plant, Perennial Garden, Cottage Garden,  Wildlife & Pollinator Gardens
Native to: South Africa
Oregon Native:   NO
USDA Hardiness Zones: 9-10

Photo by: Joanie Kintscher, Past President AGC

Report by: Carlotta Lucas, AGC Board Member

Horticulture Report: Little Goblin® Dwarf Ilex verticillata

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Dwarf Ilex verticillata

Proven Winners®:  Little Goblin ® (female)   Little Goblin Guy® (male)

Ilex verticillata are dioecious meaning they are male or female plants.  A male plant is needed for female plants to produce berries.  One male plant can pollinate up to 10 female plants. Male plant must be planted within 50 ft of female plants, plus the male’s blooming time must align with female’s bloom time.

Common Name: Winterberry Holly

Plant type: Deciduous Dwarf  Shrub

Height: 3-4 feet        Width: 3-4 feet
Bloom Time: Late Spring

Flower Color:  White (small)
Exposure:  Full Sun (6+ hours), Part Sun (4-6 hours)

Firewise: Yes- Low flammability, 6 feet of structure

Soil Requirements: Prefers rich organic acidic soil, but will grow in average garden soil.

Water Needs:  Moist Areas
Attributes: Vibrant Red Winter Berries; Important food source for American Robins; Winter Interest; Slow growing; Blooms on old wood  
Uses:  Bioswales, Wetland habitats, Native gardens, Bird habitat, Rain garden, Firewise garden, Wildlife gardens, Cutting garden, Container planting, Floral arrangements.
Native to: Eastern North America

USDA Hardiness Zone: 3a-9b

Horticulture Report: Rudbeckia hirta

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Rudbeckia hirta

Black-eyed Susan  ‘Prairie Sun’

 Type: Herbaceous perennial – CULTIVAR

Height: 2.50 to 3.00 feet Spread: 1.50 to 2.00 feet

Bloom Time: June to frost

Bloom Description: Yellow-tipped orange rays with green center disk

Sun: Full sun Water: Medium Maintenance: Low

Suggested Use: Annual, Naturalize

Flower: Showy, Good Cut

Attracts: Butterflies Tolerate: Deer, Drought, Clay Soil

Culture

Biennial or short-lived perennial that is winter hardy to USDA Zones 3-7. It blooms in the first year from seed planted in early spring, and is accordingly often grown as an annual. It is easily grown in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun. Best in moist, organically rich soils. Tolerates heat, drought and a wide range of soils except poorly-drained wet ones. For best result from seed in the St. Louis area, start seed indoors around March 1. Seed may also be sown directly in the garden at last frost date. Some varieties are available in cell/six packs from nurseries. Set out seedlings or purchased plants at last frost date. Deadhead spend flowers to encourage additional bloom and/or to prevent any unwanted self-seeding. Whether or not plants survive from one year to the next, they freely self-seed and will usually remain in the garden through self-seeding.

 Noteworthy Characteristics

Ruudbeckia hirta, commonly called black-eyed Susan, is a common Missouri native wildflower which typically occurs in open woods, prairies, fields, roadsides and waste areas throughout the State. It is a coarse, hairy, somewhat weedy plant that features daisy-like flowers (to 3” across) with bright yellow to orange-yellow rays and domed, dark chocolate-brown center disks. Blooms throughout the summer atop stiff, leafy, upright stems growing 1-3’ tall. Rough, hairy, lance-shaped leaves (3-7” long). Plants of this species are sometimes commonly called gloriosa daisy, particularly the larger-flowered cultivars that come in shades of red, yellow, bronze, orange and bicolors.

Genus name honors Olof Rudbeck (1630-1702) Swedish botanist and founder of the Uppsala Botanic Garden in Sweden where Carl Linnaeus was professor of botany.

Species name of hirta means hairy in reference to the short bristles that cover the leaves and stems.

‘Prairie Sun’ grows to 3’ tall on stiff, upright, leafy stems. It produces a long summer-to-fall bloom of large, daisy-like flowers (to 5” diameter) featuring orange rays tipped with lemon yellow and greenish center disks. Flowers bloom singly atop strong, sometimes-branching stems. Rough, bright green leaves (3-7” long) in basal clumps with smaller stem leaves. ‘Prairie Sun’ is an All-America Selection winner in 2003 and a Gold Medal winner at the 2003 Fleuroselect trials in England.

Problems

No serious insect or disease problems. Susceptible to powdery mildew. Watch for slugs and snails on young plants. Can self-seed freely. Deer tend to avoid this plant.

Garden Uses

Borders. Annual beds. Cottage gardens. Wild gardens. Meadows. Groups or mass plantings. Good cut flower.

Article by: Lynn Kunstman, Jackson County Master Gardener

Posted by: Carlotta Lucas, AGC Member

Photo by: Bluestone Perennials https://www.bluestoneperennials.com